The Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign in St. Joseph is underway and volunteers are needed to help ring bells 

The campaign began earlier this month, and runs through December 23rd, and through the first three weeks has had a good number of volunteers. 

But Social Services Director Emily Bravo says they could always use more. . . 

"You can never have to many volunteers, and so it’s something that businesses like to come in and ring as a group and they like to go to one of the stores with two different doors and see who can bring in the most, things like that,” Bravo tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  “And so we’re always bringing in new volunteers.” 

The campaign runs until December 23rd with bell ringers out every day except for Sundays and on Thanksgiving.   

Bravo says the campaign is important because it not only helps with Christmas, but also helps fund several other Salvation Army programs 

"It helps with things for the shelter as well as food for the homeless, clothing, we have some programs that can send kids to camp,” Bravo explains.  “And just different things throughout the year that we otherwise may not have funding for.” 

The Salvation Army has bell ringers at more than five locations around St. Joseph.  To volunteer you can contact Megan Smith at the Salvation Army offices. 

Bravo says for those interested in volunteering, ringing the bells also doesn't require a huge time commitment 

"Shifts are usually four to five hour shifts, if somebody can only come in and ring for an hour we can work with that as well,” Bravo says.  “But it’s not usually a huge time commitment.” 

To volunteer you can contact Megan Smith at the Salvation Army offices. 

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

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostThe Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign in St. Joseph is underway and volunteers are needed to help ring bells The campaign began earlier this month, and runs through December 23rd, and through the first three weeks has had a good number of volunteers. But Social Services Director Emily Bravo says they could always use more. . . "You can never have to many volunteers, and so it’s something that businesses like to come in and ring as a group and they like to go to one of the stores with two different doors and see who can bring in the most, things like that,” Bravo tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “And so we’re always bringing in new volunteers.” The campaign runs until December 23rd with bell ringers out every day except for Sundays and on Thanksgiving. Bravo says the campaign is important because it not only helps with Christmas, but also helps fund several other Salvation Army programs "It helps with things for the shelter as well as food for the homeless, clothing, we have some programs that can send kids to camp,” Bravo explains. “And just different things throughout the year that we otherwise may not have funding for.” The Salvation Army has bell ringers at more than five locations around St. Joseph. To volunteer you can contact Megan Smith at the Salvation Army offices. Bravo says for those interested in volunteering, ringing the bells also doesn't require a huge time commitment "Shifts are usually four to five hour shifts, if somebody can only come in and ring for an hour we can work with that as well,” Bravo says. “But it’s not usually a huge time commitment.” To volunteer you can contact Megan Smith at the Salvation Army offices. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Salvation Army asking volunteers to ring bells during Red Kettle campaign

Mosaic Life Care
has broken ground on a new women’s health clinic in Maryville.

More than 100
attended the groundbreaking ceremony hosted by Mosaic Medical Center –
Maryville and Mosaic Life Care – Philanthropy. Mosaic states in a news release
the clinic will offer preventive care, obstetrics, gynecology and wellness
support.

Mosaic Medical
Center – Maryville also announced it has received a $100,000 Rural Planning
Grant from Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies Program, which
is funded by the Health Resources &amp; Services Administration (HRSA). Through
this grant, outreach clinics have already been set up in Bedford and Albany to
offer OB patients greater access to care.

The Maryville
clinic will offer services that women in northwest Missouri have had to drive long
distances to receive.

“I see the
disparities in women’s healthcare in this region and across the state. Women’s
health care is expensive and difficult to deliver, which is why so many near us
have closed their maternity unit doors,” Megan Jennings, director of
development for the St. Francis Foundation said. “Today, I am so proud to say
through the efforts and dedication of many, we aren’t saying when we close, but
rather, let’s grow, let’s extend our arm to other communities, let’s be the
solution.”

&nbsp;The new clinic, made possible by community
support through the St. Francis Foundation and a significant investment from
Mosaic Life Care, is set to open in late summer of 2026. 

You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763577055948.jpeg" alt="Groundbreaking of women's clinic at Mosaic - Maryville/Photo courtesy of Mosaic Life Care" />
 <figcaption>Groundbreaking of women's clinic at Mosaic - Maryville/Photo courtesy of Mosaic Life Care</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINMosaic Life Care
has broken ground on a new women’s health clinic in Maryville.More than 100
attended the groundbreaking ceremony hosted by Mosaic Medical Center –
Maryville and Mosaic Life Care – Philanthropy. Mosaic states in a news release
the clinic will offer preventive care, obstetrics, gynecology and wellness
support.Mosaic Medical
Center – Maryville also announced it has received a $100,000 Rural Planning
Grant from Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies Program, which
is funded by the Health Resources &amp; Services Administration (HRSA). Through
this grant, outreach clinics have already been set up in Bedford and Albany to
offer OB patients greater access to care.The Maryville
clinic will offer services that women in northwest Missouri have had to drive long
distances to receive.“I see the
disparities in women’s healthcare in this region and across the state. Women’s
health care is expensive and difficult to deliver, which is why so many near us
have closed their maternity unit doors,” Megan Jennings, director of
development for the St. Francis Foundation said. “Today, I am so proud to say
through the efforts and dedication of many, we aren’t saying when we close, but
rather, let’s grow, let’s extend our arm to other communities, let’s be the
solution.”&nbsp;The new clinic, made possible by community
support through the St. Francis Foundation and a significant investment from
Mosaic Life Care, is set to open in late summer of 2026. You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

Mosaic breaks ground on new Maryville women's clinic

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations after a traffic stop.&nbsp;

Just before 7p.m. Tuesday, a police officer on patrol conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in the 500 block South 5th Street in Atchison for a traffic violation, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

 A sheriff’s deputy was on the scene with a K-9 and alerted to the presence of a controlled substance. A smoking device containing methamphetamine was subsequently located in the vehicle and the driver, Martin Winfield, was taken into custody. He is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;for possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763570083333.png" alt="Winfield photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Winfield photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations after a traffic stop.&nbsp;Just before 7p.m. Tuesday, a police officer on patrol conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in the 500 block South 5th Street in Atchison for a traffic violation, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson. A sheriff’s deputy was on the scene with a K-9 and alerted to the presence of a controlled substance. A smoking device containing methamphetamine was subsequently located in the vehicle and the driver, Martin Winfield, was taken into custody. He is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;for possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.&nbsp;

Kan. sheriff's K9 alerted to smoking device containing meth

It has taken longer than expected to
fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the classroom.

That likely is no better illustrated than
during the news conference in which St. Joseph School Superintendent, Ashly
McGinnis, disclosed the St. Joseph School District scored 74.7% on the state
Annual Performance Report.

“We haven’t been above 70% since COVID,” McGinnis
stated during the news conference at the St. Joseph School District offices.

McGinnis said recovery from the pandemic
hasn’t come as soon as she would have liked or as soon as she anticipated.

“I think we didn’t anticipate the recovery
time well,” McGinnis said in answer to a question about what impact the
pandemic had on the district. “I was at Lafayette High School during that time
and an assistant principal said it takes about four years to recover from a
pandemic and I think he was right.”

McGinnis said only a few students thrived
in the digital classroom created by the St. Joseph School District during the
pandemic. She said most students must have a good classroom teacher in front of
them to truly succeed in school.

McGinnis said the APR score indicates St.
Joseph students are finally throwing off the bad habits that hurt their
progress during as well as immediately after the pandemic.

“It has taken a very long time to get rid
of some bad habits we created during COVID,” according to McGinnis. “Everything
was shut down so we relied heavily on devices and education through different
platforms, virtually. And that just wasn’t best for most of our kids.”

A key to recovery, according to McGinnis,
was dealing with those bad habits bred by the pandemic.

“Breaking some of those bad habits has
been a challenge for us as a district,” McGinnis said, quickly adding it was a
problem experienced by other school districts as well. &nbsp;“Just getting back into that sense of coming
to school every day, having that high-quality teacher in front of you.”

Perhaps, the school district and its
students are finally emerging from the harmful impact of the pandemic.

“So, to me, this 74.7% is a sign that we
are finally overcoming that barrier that we all had during COVID.”
McGinnis added perhaps the biggest illustration of the lingering negative
effect of the pandemic is the attendance rate. She said the St. Joseph School
District still has work to do on student attendance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763573364784.jpeg" alt="St. Joseph School Supt. Ashly McGinnis (right) speaks to reporters during a news conference as Asst. Supt. Stacia Studer looks on./Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>St. Joseph School Supt. Ashly McGinnis (right) speaks to reporters during a news conference as Asst. Supt. Stacia Studer looks on./Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostIt has taken longer than expected to
fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the classroom.That likely is no better illustrated than
during the news conference in which St. Joseph School Superintendent, Ashly
McGinnis, disclosed the St. Joseph School District scored 74.7% on the state
Annual Performance Report.“We haven’t been above 70% since COVID,” McGinnis
stated during the news conference at the St. Joseph School District offices.McGinnis said recovery from the pandemic
hasn’t come as soon as she would have liked or as soon as she anticipated.“I think we didn’t anticipate the recovery
time well,” McGinnis said in answer to a question about what impact the
pandemic had on the district. “I was at Lafayette High School during that time
and an assistant principal said it takes about four years to recover from a
pandemic and I think he was right.”McGinnis said only a few students thrived
in the digital classroom created by the St. Joseph School District during the
pandemic. She said most students must have a good classroom teacher in front of
them to truly succeed in school.McGinnis said the APR score indicates St.
Joseph students are finally throwing off the bad habits that hurt their
progress during as well as immediately after the pandemic.“It has taken a very long time to get rid
of some bad habits we created during COVID,” according to McGinnis. “Everything
was shut down so we relied heavily on devices and education through different
platforms, virtually. And that just wasn’t best for most of our kids.”A key to recovery, according to McGinnis,
was dealing with those bad habits bred by the pandemic.“Breaking some of those bad habits has
been a challenge for us as a district,” McGinnis said, quickly adding it was a
problem experienced by other school districts as well. &nbsp;“Just getting back into that sense of coming
to school every day, having that high-quality teacher in front of you.”Perhaps, the school district and its
students are finally emerging from the harmful impact of the pandemic.“So, to me, this 74.7% is a sign that we
are finally overcoming that barrier that we all had during COVID.”
McGinnis added perhaps the biggest illustration of the lingering negative
effect of the pandemic is the attendance rate. She said the St. Joseph School
District still has work to do on student attendance.You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

Perhaps St. Joseph School District is finally shaking off impact of COVID-19

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/0ZoKhEttxB18c9OuUXt1I1?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

KFEQ Morning Sports

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/1YC8nFBaWAlJ07OfhHHdYc?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

KFEQ Morning News

A law creating a misdemeanor offense for school employees that supply ‘sexually explicit material’ to students is now void

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ahanshaw/">Annelise Hanshaw</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

A Jackson County Circuit Court judge struck down a state law criminalizing school employees for supplying “sexually explicit material” to students, ruling it unconstitutionally vague and overbroad in a five-page decision Monday.

“This is a real victory for all library professionals who are trained to select age-appropriate, developmentally appropriate material for students in both public and private schools,” Gillian Wilcox, the ACLU of Missouri’s director of litigation, told The Independent. “It is a real insult to their training and professionalism for the government to think that it knows better what books belong in those schools, and it’s an insult to parents as well.”

The now-void law, passed by Missouri lawmakers in 2022, expanded the state’s regulations on pornography to create the offense of providing explicit sexual material to a student. It applied only to those “affiliated with a public or private elementary or secondary school in an official capacity.”

The law is part of a larger trend placing higher scrutiny on what books are offered by libraries and schools. In Missouri, efforts earlier this year to place new restrictions on digital libraries and expand the officials who could face prosecution were debated but did not pass.

“The ACLU has been seeing an increase in the last at least five years in book removal from school libraries and public libraries for a variety of reasons,” Wilcox said. “And it all culminated in this law being passed.”

The Missouri Association of School Librarians and Missouri Library Association, represented by Stinson LLP and the ACLU of Missouri, challenged the law in 2023 after “hundreds” of titles were removed from shelves.

“Librarians and school professionals statewide now assess prospective and existing titles in their collections based on fear, rather than expertise,” their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Suggestions%20in%20Support%20of%20Plaintiffs%20Motion%20for%20Summary%20Judgment.PDF?courtCode=16&amp;di=28487444" target="_blank">attorneys wrote in July</a>. “They have been reluctant, or have refused, to add new art, books, or even digital access to such materials that contain diverse or marginalized content or viewpoints, lest some unknown government official determine the work contains prohibited ‘explicit sexual material.’”

The state has long&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=573.040&amp;bid=56402" target="_blank">prohibited</a>&nbsp;people from giving pornographic material to minors. The decades-old law uses a different definition of pornography, one that has been held up in courts as only prohibiting speech unprotected by the First Amendment.

But the 2022 law extends beyond that precedent, plaintiffs attorneys argued, impeding free speech rights.

The case was originally filed against county prosecutors but is currently being defended by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.

Deputy Solicitor General Samuel Freedlund labeled librarians’ arguments as insufficient, since they hadn’t presented evidence of the law being enforced.

“Absent evidence of any instance of any defendant actually enforcing the law against any of plaintiffs’ members, plaintiffs can only raise hypothetical enforcement examples in their vagueness challenge — an approach Missouri courts have consistently rejected as facially insufficient to raise a vagueness challenge,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Defendant-Intervenors%20Memorandum%20in%20Support%20of%20their%20Motion%20for%20Summary%20Judgment.PDF?courtCode=16&amp;di=28488819" target="_blank">he wrote</a>.

Circuit Court Judge J. Dale Youngs offered little insight into the basis of his decision in the brief ruling, though he acknowledged in a footnote that with his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.16thcircuit.org/Data/Sites/1/media/news/news_releases/judges-burnett-and-youngs-to-retire.pdf" target="_blank">retirement coming at the end of the month</a>, “time is a factor.”&nbsp;

“Moreover, the court recognizes — now more than ever — its status as a ‘way station’ to the Supreme Court of Missouri,” Youngs wrote. “What the parties here need is a decision that can be fully and finally considered by an appellate court that — consistent with its standard of review — gives no deference to what this court thinks or why.”

Wilcox said the judge’s decision, while brief, shows large agreement with plaintiffs’ arguments.

“By granting our motion on all counts and denying the state, the court did agree with all of our legal arguments and found that there were undisputed facts supporting those arguments,” she said.

In the months leading up to summary judgment, “thousands of pages of documents were exchanged” in discovery.

The attorney general’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732120511456.jpg" alt="Image Pixaby" />
 <figcaption>Image Pixaby</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A law creating a misdemeanor offense for school employees that supply ‘sexually explicit material’ to students is now void</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ahanshaw/">Annelise Hanshaw</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>A Jackson County Circuit Court judge struck down a state law criminalizing school employees for supplying “sexually explicit material” to students, ruling it unconstitutionally vague and overbroad in a five-page decision Monday.“This is a real victory for all library professionals who are trained to select age-appropriate, developmentally appropriate material for students in both public and private schools,” Gillian Wilcox, the ACLU of Missouri’s director of litigation, told The Independent. “It is a real insult to their training and professionalism for the government to think that it knows better what books belong in those schools, and it’s an insult to parents as well.”The now-void law, passed by Missouri lawmakers in 2022, expanded the state’s regulations on pornography to create the offense of providing explicit sexual material to a student. It applied only to those “affiliated with a public or private elementary or secondary school in an official capacity.”The law is part of a larger trend placing higher scrutiny on what books are offered by libraries and schools. In Missouri, efforts earlier this year to place new restrictions on digital libraries and expand the officials who could face prosecution were debated but did not pass.“The ACLU has been seeing an increase in the last at least five years in book removal from school libraries and public libraries for a variety of reasons,” Wilcox said. “And it all culminated in this law being passed.”The Missouri Association of School Librarians and Missouri Library Association, represented by Stinson LLP and the ACLU of Missouri, challenged the law in 2023 after “hundreds” of titles were removed from shelves.“Librarians and school professionals statewide now assess prospective and existing titles in their collections based on fear, rather than expertise,” their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Suggestions%20in%20Support%20of%20Plaintiffs%20Motion%20for%20Summary%20Judgment.PDF?courtCode=16&amp;di=28487444" target="_blank">attorneys wrote in July</a>. “They have been reluctant, or have refused, to add new art, books, or even digital access to such materials that contain diverse or marginalized content or viewpoints, lest some unknown government official determine the work contains prohibited ‘explicit sexual material.’”The state has long&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=573.040&amp;bid=56402" target="_blank">prohibited</a>&nbsp;people from giving pornographic material to minors. The decades-old law uses a different definition of pornography, one that has been held up in courts as only prohibiting speech unprotected by the First Amendment.But the 2022 law extends beyond that precedent, plaintiffs attorneys argued, impeding free speech rights.The case was originally filed against county prosecutors but is currently being defended by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.Deputy Solicitor General Samuel Freedlund labeled librarians’ arguments as insufficient, since they hadn’t presented evidence of the law being enforced.“Absent evidence of any instance of any defendant actually enforcing the law against any of plaintiffs’ members, plaintiffs can only raise hypothetical enforcement examples in their vagueness challenge — an approach Missouri courts have consistently rejected as facially insufficient to raise a vagueness challenge,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Defendant-Intervenors%20Memorandum%20in%20Support%20of%20their%20Motion%20for%20Summary%20Judgment.PDF?courtCode=16&amp;di=28488819" target="_blank">he wrote</a>.Circuit Court Judge J. Dale Youngs offered little insight into the basis of his decision in the brief ruling, though he acknowledged in a footnote that with his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.16thcircuit.org/Data/Sites/1/media/news/news_releases/judges-burnett-and-youngs-to-retire.pdf" target="_blank">retirement coming at the end of the month</a>, “time is a factor.”&nbsp;“Moreover, the court recognizes — now more than ever — its status as a ‘way station’ to the Supreme Court of Missouri,” Youngs wrote. “What the parties here need is a decision that can be fully and finally considered by an appellate court that — consistent with its standard of review — gives no deference to what this court thinks or why.”Wilcox said the judge’s decision, while brief, shows large agreement with plaintiffs’ arguments.“By granting our motion on all counts and denying the state, the court did agree with all of our legal arguments and found that there were undisputed facts supporting those arguments,” she said.In the months leading up to summary judgment, “thousands of pages of documents were exchanged” in discovery.The attorney general’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Missouri court strikes down 2022 law that pulled library books off shelves

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just after 5a.m. Tuesday at Kansas City International Airport.

A Honda Fit was traveling the wrong way on International Circle, just south of 1 KC Boulevard, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. The car&nbsp; collided head-on with a Subaru. 

The driver of the Honda was pronounced dead from the medical staff at a local hospital. The driver and passenger of the Subaru were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

 This is Fatality #59 vs #82 last year in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Becchina.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763514409391.png" alt="KCI image courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>KCI image courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just after 5a.m. Tuesday at Kansas City International Airport.A Honda Fit was traveling the wrong way on International Circle, just south of 1 KC Boulevard, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. The car&nbsp; collided head-on with a Subaru. The driver of the Honda was pronounced dead from the medical staff at a local hospital. The driver and passenger of the Subaru were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. This is Fatality #59 vs #82 last year in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Becchina.

Driver killed in head-on crash at Kansas City International Airport

Recent damage to the Gene Field Road Bridge in St. Joseph has forced the Missouri Department of Transportation to close the bridge for an extensive amount of time.  

MoDOT District Engineer Austin Hibler says the bridge had been set to be replaced due to its condition, but a truck hauling an oversized load on I-29 hit the bridge supports, causing more damage  

"This bridge has four girders that support the deck, and during the incident one of the four girders was damaged and is essentially not supporting the deck like it was intended to,” Hibler tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  “So, you have about 25% of the deck there that is unsupported from its original design.” 

The Missouri Department of Transportation moved up a bridge replacement project from next fall to early next spring, but construction will not begin until at least summer.     

Hibler says that means construction won't be able to begin at least until summer. 

"Our goal would be completed by the fall, late fall early winter of 2026, depending on the contractors schedule,” Hibler explains. 

 Hibler says, currently, design work on the bridge is underway. 

"It takes a lot of preliminary data and information to get the design correct, so that’s all being taken care of right now, in hopes that we can get the design out for a letting in March or April of 2026,” Hibler says.  “And then a contractor, or multiple contractors, will look at it and bid on it.” 

There is a public listening session scheduled for December 17th at 4pm for residents to speak with MoDOT officials about the bridge. 

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

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostRecent damage to the Gene Field Road Bridge in St. Joseph has forced the Missouri Department of Transportation to close the bridge for an extensive amount of time. MoDOT District Engineer Austin Hibler says the bridge had been set to be replaced due to its condition, but a truck hauling an oversized load on I-29 hit the bridge supports, causing more damage "This bridge has four girders that support the deck, and during the incident one of the four girders was damaged and is essentially not supporting the deck like it was intended to,” Hibler tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So, you have about 25% of the deck there that is unsupported from its original design.” The Missouri Department of Transportation moved up a bridge replacement project from next fall to early next spring, but construction will not begin until at least summer. Hibler says that means construction won't be able to begin at least until summer. "Our goal would be completed by the fall, late fall early winter of 2026, depending on the contractors schedule,” Hibler explains. Hibler says, currently, design work on the bridge is underway. "It takes a lot of preliminary data and information to get the design correct, so that’s all being taken care of right now, in hopes that we can get the design out for a letting in March or April of 2026,” Hibler says. “And then a contractor, or multiple contractors, will look at it and bid on it.” There is a public listening session scheduled for December 17th at 4pm for residents to speak with MoDOT officials about the bridge. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Work on Gene Field Road Bridge may not start until summer 2026 

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/6b2NsspRK93Wk1qS3BSJjN?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph Post <div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/17VvBsyDduIwRyTzV1A3r7?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

CALDWELL COUNTY — Three people were injured in an accident just after 6p.m. Monday in Caldwell County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Chevy Silverado 3500 driven by a 63-year-old Trenton man was stopped in the crossover of U.S. 36 and started northbound and entered the westbound lanes of U.S. 36

A westbound 2012 Chrysler Town and Country driven by a 74-year-old Chillicothe man struck the right side of the pickup. After impact both vehicles began skidding and sliding. The vehicles traveled off the north side of U.S. 36. The van became airborne and rolled.

Life Flight Eagle transported the driver of the van to Truman Medical Center and a 67-year-old female passenger in the van to St. Luke's Hospital.&nbsp; Livingston County EMS transported the pickup driver to Liberty Hospital. All three were properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

CALDWELL COUNTY — Three people were injured in an accident just after 6p.m. Monday in Caldwell County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Chevy Silverado 3500 driven by a 63-year-old Trenton man was stopped in the crossover of U.S. 36 and started northbound and entered the westbound lanes of U.S. 36A westbound 2012 Chrysler Town and Country driven by a 74-year-old Chillicothe man struck the right side of the pickup. After impact both vehicles began skidding and sliding. The vehicles traveled off the north side of U.S. 36. The van became airborne and rolled.Life Flight Eagle transported the driver of the van to Truman Medical Center and a 67-year-old female passenger in the van to St. Luke's Hospital.&nbsp; Livingston County EMS transported the pickup driver to Liberty Hospital. All three were properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri couple airlifted to hospital after van, pickup crash

North Central
Missouri College has been awarded a $1.37 million grant to expand mental health
workforce training on its Savannah campus.

College officials
say it has received the grant in partnership with Mosaic Life Care of St.
Joseph.

North Central says
the partnership with Mosaic through the Community Behavioral Health Alliance was
a key to receiving the grant from the Health Resources and Services
Administration. The Community Behavioral Health Alliance is comprised of direct
mental health service provider organizations such as Mosaic Life Care, Mosaic
Life Care Foundation, Family Guidance, The Center, and Greater St. Joseph
United Way. Other members of the alliance include regional public schools as
well as Missouri Western State University and North Central Missouri College.

Since 2021, the
Community Behavioral Health Alliance has identified areas of need, including access
to care, mental health workforce provider shortage, wrap-around service
availability, and post-secondary educational opportunities for mental health
related caregivers.

&nbsp;The alliance collaboration has resulted in
heightened shared commitment to embracing a grow-our-own philosophy to meet our
regional communities’ expansive mental health needs. 

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostNorth Central
Missouri College has been awarded a $1.37 million grant to expand mental health
workforce training on its Savannah campus.College officials
say it has received the grant in partnership with Mosaic Life Care of St.
Joseph.North Central says
the partnership with Mosaic through the Community Behavioral Health Alliance was
a key to receiving the grant from the Health Resources and Services
Administration. The Community Behavioral Health Alliance is comprised of direct
mental health service provider organizations such as Mosaic Life Care, Mosaic
Life Care Foundation, Family Guidance, The Center, and Greater St. Joseph
United Way. Other members of the alliance include regional public schools as
well as Missouri Western State University and North Central Missouri College.Since 2021, the
Community Behavioral Health Alliance has identified areas of need, including access
to care, mental health workforce provider shortage, wrap-around service
availability, and post-secondary educational opportunities for mental health
related caregivers.&nbsp;The alliance collaboration has resulted in
heightened shared commitment to embracing a grow-our-own philosophy to meet our
regional communities’ expansive mental health needs. You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

North Central MO College gets grant to train mental health care workers

Buchanan County was honored with a Blue Shield designation, and now with money coming from the state will be able to purchase new equipment.  

Last month, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe announced nearly $10 million in state grants with the program to help improve public safety.  

Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett says now, after months of planning, his office knows how much they will be able to get through the grant 

"We are earmarked to receive $50,000 no matching funds, it’s a direct award from the state, and so that’s going to help buy some equipment, mainly it’s directed towards equipment and things like that, not salaries or anything,” Puett says on the KFEQmunnity show.  “And so we’re looking at a couple UTV’s and a trailer.” 

Puett says the current UTV the department has is worn down and needs to be replaced, pointing out the vehicle is valuable to be used in special events such as floods or ice storms 

"We have plenty of incidents where people are lost in wooded areas or we have to recover injured or deceased people that are way out in a bad area that you can’t get to with vehicles and things like that,” Puett explains. 

Puett says the vehicle is also helpful to have for accidents along the interstate to help move supplies back and forth.   

Puett says having this would help expand his deputy's ability to get to people and serve them better and quicker, especially in tight and bad locations. 

Once the money is spent, will there be more to come?  Puett says they are hopeful Kehoe will continue these public safety programs 

"Obviously as we pay state taxes and it goes to the state, it’s nice to get some of our tax dollars that we pay back into our community for things that we’re able to utilize and all those things here locally instead of going somewhere else in the state, so that’s a plus,” Puett says. 

Puett says they won't know if this will continue however until after the first of the year, but also points out many things were held up and in limbo due to the recently ended federal government shutdown. 

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

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostBuchanan County was honored with a Blue Shield designation, and now with money coming from the state will be able to purchase new equipment. Last month, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe announced nearly $10 million in state grants with the program to help improve public safety. Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett says now, after months of planning, his office knows how much they will be able to get through the grant "We are earmarked to receive $50,000 no matching funds, it’s a direct award from the state, and so that’s going to help buy some equipment, mainly it’s directed towards equipment and things like that, not salaries or anything,” Puett says on the KFEQmunnity show. “And so we’re looking at a couple UTV’s and a trailer.” Puett says the current UTV the department has is worn down and needs to be replaced, pointing out the vehicle is valuable to be used in special events such as floods or ice storms "We have plenty of incidents where people are lost in wooded areas or we have to recover injured or deceased people that are way out in a bad area that you can’t get to with vehicles and things like that,” Puett explains. Puett says the vehicle is also helpful to have for accidents along the interstate to help move supplies back and forth. Puett says having this would help expand his deputy's ability to get to people and serve them better and quicker, especially in tight and bad locations. Once the money is spent, will there be more to come? Puett says they are hopeful Kehoe will continue these public safety programs "Obviously as we pay state taxes and it goes to the state, it’s nice to get some of our tax dollars that we pay back into our community for things that we’re able to utilize and all those things here locally instead of going somewhere else in the state, so that’s a plus,” Puett says. Puett says they won't know if this will continue however until after the first of the year, but also points out many things were held up and in limbo due to the recently ended federal government shutdown. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Buchanan County Sheriff benefits from Blue Shield program with new equipment

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/5PVlFf6xH7VmJACLYs2iEz?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/6Z5q9wpzGYZbYguRJ89V6E?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/joshmerchant/">Josh Merchant</a>

The World Cup is just seven months away, and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority faces the immense challenge of moving hundreds of thousands of fans around Kansas City next summer.

Now, the transit agency has decided to crack open its piggy bank.

For years, transit leaders have asked Kansas, Missouri and the federal government for financial support during the World Cup to manage massive crowds of fans who will travel to the region without cars.

But they have not received a dime for World Cup bus service. So the KCATA is planning to raid millions of dollars from a federal grant from 2018 intended to buy new buses. Instead, that money will be spent on 40 days of expanded service for fans and tourists.

Chuck Ferguson, the chief operations officer for the KCATA, asked the Mid-America Regional Council to approve the change at a committee meeting on Nov. 10.

“We — Johnson County, the Unified Government — have been pushing local, regional and the feds for some kind of dedicated funding for transit for the last few years to no avail,” Ferguson said. “So now we’re scrambling.”

The federal government created a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/13/drone-defenses-world-cup-00606174" target="_blank">$625 million grant program for safety and security</a>&nbsp;in World Cup cities. But none of that money can be used by transit agencies.

Ferguson told The Beacon that Missouri also provided some support with an “ambassador” program, which will pay people to be “wayfinders” to help visitors find bus stops at World Cup events. But again, that money can’t be used to pay for additional bus routes or operators.

In the absence of additional support, the KCATA is being asked to manage unprecedented numbers of bus riders in Kansas City with a budget that’s already spread thin. And that exposes funding challenges that the KCATA was already facing before the World Cup was even announced.

KC2026, the organizing committee&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/06/19/is-kansas-city-world-cup-ready-2026/" target="_blank">formed to raise funds for and manage the World Cup</a>, announced earlier this year that it plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/housing-development-section/2025-06-12/world-cup-kansas-city-2026-transportation" target="_blank">lease 200 buses</a>&nbsp;to get visitors between the airport, downtown and the six matches planned to be hosted at Arrowhead Stadium.

“KC2026 is currently planning to fund and operate all transportation required to meet the Host City obligations, as well as additional services to facilitate movement in the region,” a spokesperson for KC2026 said in an email statement. “This includes the 200 buses we have leased, as well as any event-specific services that may be provided by partners.”

But transportation leaders are still staring down a problem — getting fans to and from the&nbsp;<a href="https://kansascityfwc26.com/fan-fest/" target="_blank">FIFA Fan Festival</a>&nbsp;on the south lawn of the National World War I Museum and Memorial.

The World War I Museum sits along the newly extended streetcar line, which theoretically could move fans to and from the festival. But anyone who attended the recent Chappell Roan concerts or the NFL Draft in 2023 will remember long wait times to board the streetcar when tens of thousands of people left the venue at the end of the night.

Transportation planners call that a “crush load” —&nbsp;when people are packed shoulder-to-shoulder in the train and a long line of passengers has to wait for the next ride.

“The big worry right now,” Ferguson said at the MARC committee meeting, “is between 25,000 and 35,000 people leaving that venue at one point in time and looking to go somewhere.”

The streetcar, he said, can only handle a fraction of that number — a few thousand per hour.

KC2026 is planning to host the Fan Fest for 18 nights next summer — on the day of every Kansas City or Team USA match. But if the public transit along Main Street is overwhelmed that frequently, transit leaders worry it could be catastrophic for public safety and for the city’s reputation during the World Cup.

So the plan is to repurpose about $2.1 million that the KCATA received in 2018 to purchase new energy efficient buses. Instead, the agency will spend it on operations during the World Cup to run some extra buses along the streetcar line to manage the flood of fans. Another $387,500 would come from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2018-04-09/second-most-popular-bus-line-in-kansas-city-receives-long-awaited-30m-federal-funding" target="_blank">Prospect MAX grant</a>.

That would fund overtime pay for bus operators and the extra fuel.

“It’s not going to be the massive amounts of service that people had originally envisioned,” Ferguson told the committee. “But it is one dedicated opportunity that we hope to put out there.”

Johnson County Transit made a similar request at the Nov. 10 meeting, except it would use $2.1 million to bolster bus lines to hotels like the Sheraton in Overland Park.

In both cases, if the extra buses are not needed, the money will not be spent and it will be returned to the fund, likely to pay for the new efficient buses as originally intended.

KCATA is expected to do more with the same budget

Ultimately, the MARC transportation and emissions committee voted to recommend the change for approval by the entire board later this year.

But there were some dissenters, including Eric Rogers, the executive director and cofounder of BikeWalkKC. Rogers was one of three “no” votes.

He voted that way because he’s concerned about sacrificing long-term transit investments —&nbsp;like buses that could last for 25 years — for the sake of solving a short-term problem at the World Cup.

But he remains frustrated that the KCATA is expected to provide transit service for an unprecedented event in Kansas City without any funding from FIFA or from state or federal partners.

“We are putting our transit agencies in a tough position,” he said. “My question is, ‘Why isn’t the event that’s creating all of this demand doing more to provide the funding that’s needed for the transit agency to respond to the demand?’”

That concern was echoed by several other members of the committee during the meeting, including some who voted yes.

Bailey Waters, the chief mobility officer at Kansas City, asked Ferguson if FIFA was providing any support for the planned World Cup events.

“FIFA is not, never was going to sponsor anything,” Ferguson said in response. “FIFA requires things. But really all that FIFA provides is the happiness that we get to host the World Cup.”

Kansas City Councilmember Eric Bunch, who also serves on the KCATA Board of Commissioners, supports the move to repurpose the green bus funds for World Cup operations. But he said the frustration with FIFA is not lost on him.

“That is the problem with major events like the World Cup, like the Olympics, like the DNC or the RNC,” he said. “They’re pitching this as a positive economic impact. And in the end, it’s the local governments that pick up the bill often, and it’s the local residents who are impacted by it.”

Bunch said this most recent situation is emblematic of ongoing funding issues at the KCATA.

Not only is the transit agency underfunded in the Kansas City area, but its biggest financial constraints are around operating costs, rather than buying new buses.

In other words, the KCATA does not tend to have problems paying for new buses. The issue is finding money to pay the drivers and mechanics or buying fuel.

That’s because the federal government is willing to give grants for “capital” like new buses or streetcar tracks, but it is much rarer for the KCATA to get grants that can be used for “operations.”

(The Trump administration has deprioritized public transit as a whole compared to the Biden administration.)

“The federal government basically says, ‘All right, we’ll help you build your transit system, we’ll buy buses, we’ll build tracks for streetcars and light rail,’” Bunch said. “But once it’s up and running, that’s (the city’s) responsibility.”

About 72% of the KCATA’s operations — $61 million out of total $85 million — are paid for by Kansas City Hall.

So if the KCATA can find a way to use the federal grants to pay bus operators during the World Cup, Bunch said, that’s a far more appealing option than tapping an already strained operations budget.

Tristin Amezcua-Hogan, the chair of the Regional Transit Alliance, told The Beacon in an email statement that the KCATA is “trapped in a cycle of poverty right now that is perpetuated by a lack of stable regional funding.”

“This is just one of the many instances of the organization having to choose what gets the job done over the optimal decision that would come out of consistent funding,” he said.

Some members of the MARC committee, including Westwood City Administrator Leslie Herring, believe that the positive side of the World Cup is that some Kansas Citians are going to be taking public transit for the first time to get to the Fan Fest.

“It might be an opportunity to expand who all in Kansas City actually feels comfortable riding the buses,” Herring said at the committee meeting. “When Mission would take residents down to the Plaza, in Westport, to go bar hop during the holiday season, that was one of my first times on a bus. And I feel very comfortable on KCATA buses now.”

In theory, that kind of public support from new bus riders could pay off in the future if a regional transit sales tax is placed on the ballot.

A sales tax has some support in the Jackson County Courthouse, and four out of five of the Unified Government commissioners elected earlier this month&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/10/23/wyandotte-county-election-2025-ug-districts/" target="_blank">told The Beacon that they would support putting a similar measure on the ballot</a>&nbsp;in Wyandotte County.

Bunch said polling shows the majority of voters in Jackson, Johnson, Clay and Wyandotte counties&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/housing-development-section/2025-10-02/kansas-city-regional-transit-alliance-poll-sales-tax-bus-service" target="_blank">already support raising taxes to fund public transit</a>. And that could increase if the KCATA does a good job during the World Cup.

“That is the opportunity we have with the World Cup, and enhancing bus service during that time,” he said. “That more people are going to be willing to try it out. And I think that that’s a really good thing.”

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/11/13/kcata-kansas-city-world-cup-public-transit/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763390696925.png" alt=" Kansas City expects about 650,000 visitors next summer over the course of the Kansas City World Cup. KC’s transit agency is concerned that if buses or the streetcar are overwhelmed with tourists, that could impact bus service for the city’s residents (Vaughn Wheat/The Beacon)." />
 <figcaption> Kansas City expects about 650,000 visitors next summer over the course of the Kansas City World Cup. KC’s transit agency is concerned that if buses or the streetcar are overwhelmed with tourists, that could impact bus service for the city’s residents (Vaughn Wheat/The Beacon).</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/joshmerchant/">Josh Merchant</a>The World Cup is just seven months away, and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority faces the immense challenge of moving hundreds of thousands of fans around Kansas City next summer.Now, the transit agency has decided to crack open its piggy bank.For years, transit leaders have asked Kansas, Missouri and the federal government for financial support during the World Cup to manage massive crowds of fans who will travel to the region without cars.But they have not received a dime for World Cup bus service. So the KCATA is planning to raid millions of dollars from a federal grant from 2018 intended to buy new buses. Instead, that money will be spent on 40 days of expanded service for fans and tourists.Chuck Ferguson, the chief operations officer for the KCATA, asked the Mid-America Regional Council to approve the change at a committee meeting on Nov. 10.“We — Johnson County, the Unified Government — have been pushing local, regional and the feds for some kind of dedicated funding for transit for the last few years to no avail,” Ferguson said. “So now we’re scrambling.”The federal government created a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/13/drone-defenses-world-cup-00606174" target="_blank">$625 million grant program for safety and security</a>&nbsp;in World Cup cities. But none of that money can be used by transit agencies.Ferguson told The Beacon that Missouri also provided some support with an “ambassador” program, which will pay people to be “wayfinders” to help visitors find bus stops at World Cup events. But again, that money can’t be used to pay for additional bus routes or operators.In the absence of additional support, the KCATA is being asked to manage unprecedented numbers of bus riders in Kansas City with a budget that’s already spread thin. And that exposes funding challenges that the KCATA was already facing before the World Cup was even announced.<h2>Kansas City’s Fan Fest problem</h2>KC2026, the organizing committee&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/06/19/is-kansas-city-world-cup-ready-2026/" target="_blank">formed to raise funds for and manage the World Cup</a>, announced earlier this year that it plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/housing-development-section/2025-06-12/world-cup-kansas-city-2026-transportation" target="_blank">lease 200 buses</a>&nbsp;to get visitors between the airport, downtown and the six matches planned to be hosted at Arrowhead Stadium.“KC2026 is currently planning to fund and operate all transportation required to meet the Host City obligations, as well as additional services to facilitate movement in the region,” a spokesperson for KC2026 said in an email statement. “This includes the 200 buses we have leased, as well as any event-specific services that may be provided by partners.”But transportation leaders are still staring down a problem — getting fans to and from the&nbsp;<a href="https://kansascityfwc26.com/fan-fest/" target="_blank">FIFA Fan Festival</a>&nbsp;on the south lawn of the National World War I Museum and Memorial.The World War I Museum sits along the newly extended streetcar line, which theoretically could move fans to and from the festival. But anyone who attended the recent Chappell Roan concerts or the NFL Draft in 2023 will remember long wait times to board the streetcar when tens of thousands of people left the venue at the end of the night.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763390661542.png" alt="Chappell Roan fans wait for the KC Streetcar following her Oct. 3 concert. The concert was attended by about 30,000 people, which roughly compares to the expected attendance of Fan Fest (Josh Merchant/The Beacon)." />
 <figcaption>Chappell Roan fans wait for the KC Streetcar following her Oct. 3 concert. The concert was attended by about 30,000 people, which roughly compares to the expected attendance of Fan Fest (Josh Merchant/The Beacon).</figcaption>
 </figure>Transportation planners call that a “crush load” —&nbsp;when people are packed shoulder-to-shoulder in the train and a long line of passengers has to wait for the next ride.“The big worry right now,” Ferguson said at the MARC committee meeting, “is between 25,000 and 35,000 people leaving that venue at one point in time and looking to go somewhere.”The streetcar, he said, can only handle a fraction of that number — a few thousand per hour.KC2026 is planning to host the Fan Fest for 18 nights next summer — on the day of every Kansas City or Team USA match. But if the public transit along Main Street is overwhelmed that frequently, transit leaders worry it could be catastrophic for public safety and for the city’s reputation during the World Cup.So the plan is to repurpose about $2.1 million that the KCATA received in 2018 to purchase new energy efficient buses. Instead, the agency will spend it on operations during the World Cup to run some extra buses along the streetcar line to manage the flood of fans. Another $387,500 would come from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2018-04-09/second-most-popular-bus-line-in-kansas-city-receives-long-awaited-30m-federal-funding" target="_blank">Prospect MAX grant</a>.That would fund overtime pay for bus operators and the extra fuel.“It’s not going to be the massive amounts of service that people had originally envisioned,” Ferguson told the committee. “But it is one dedicated opportunity that we hope to put out there.”Johnson County Transit made a similar request at the Nov. 10 meeting, except it would use $2.1 million to bolster bus lines to hotels like the Sheraton in Overland Park.In both cases, if the extra buses are not needed, the money will not be spent and it will be returned to the fund, likely to pay for the new efficient buses as originally intended.<h2>KCATA is expected to do more with the same budget</h2>Ultimately, the MARC transportation and emissions committee voted to recommend the change for approval by the entire board later this year.But there were some dissenters, including Eric Rogers, the executive director and cofounder of BikeWalkKC. Rogers was one of three “no” votes.He voted that way because he’s concerned about sacrificing long-term transit investments —&nbsp;like buses that could last for 25 years — for the sake of solving a short-term problem at the World Cup.But he remains frustrated that the KCATA is expected to provide transit service for an unprecedented event in Kansas City without any funding from FIFA or from state or federal partners.“We are putting our transit agencies in a tough position,” he said. “My question is, ‘Why isn’t the event that’s creating all of this demand doing more to provide the funding that’s needed for the transit agency to respond to the demand?’”That concern was echoed by several other members of the committee during the meeting, including some who voted yes.Bailey Waters, the chief mobility officer at Kansas City, asked Ferguson if FIFA was providing any support for the planned World Cup events.“FIFA is not, never was going to sponsor anything,” Ferguson said in response. “FIFA requires things. But really all that FIFA provides is the happiness that we get to host the World Cup.”Kansas City Councilmember Eric Bunch, who also serves on the KCATA Board of Commissioners, supports the move to repurpose the green bus funds for World Cup operations. But he said the frustration with FIFA is not lost on him.“That is the problem with major events like the World Cup, like the Olympics, like the DNC or the RNC,” he said. “They’re pitching this as a positive economic impact. And in the end, it’s the local governments that pick up the bill often, and it’s the local residents who are impacted by it.”<h2>A fundamental funding challenge</h2>Bunch said this most recent situation is emblematic of ongoing funding issues at the KCATA.Not only is the transit agency underfunded in the Kansas City area, but its biggest financial constraints are around operating costs, rather than buying new buses.In other words, the KCATA does not tend to have problems paying for new buses. The issue is finding money to pay the drivers and mechanics or buying fuel.That’s because the federal government is willing to give grants for “capital” like new buses or streetcar tracks, but it is much rarer for the KCATA to get grants that can be used for “operations.”(The Trump administration has deprioritized public transit as a whole compared to the Biden administration.)“The federal government basically says, ‘All right, we’ll help you build your transit system, we’ll buy buses, we’ll build tracks for streetcars and light rail,’” Bunch said. “But once it’s up and running, that’s (the city’s) responsibility.”About 72% of the KCATA’s operations — $61 million out of total $85 million — are paid for by Kansas City Hall.So if the KCATA can find a way to use the federal grants to pay bus operators during the World Cup, Bunch said, that’s a far more appealing option than tapping an already strained operations budget.Tristin Amezcua-Hogan, the chair of the Regional Transit Alliance, told The Beacon in an email statement that the KCATA is “trapped in a cycle of poverty right now that is perpetuated by a lack of stable regional funding.”“This is just one of the many instances of the organization having to choose what gets the job done over the optimal decision that would come out of consistent funding,” he said.Some members of the MARC committee, including Westwood City Administrator Leslie Herring, believe that the positive side of the World Cup is that some Kansas Citians are going to be taking public transit for the first time to get to the Fan Fest.“It might be an opportunity to expand who all in Kansas City actually feels comfortable riding the buses,” Herring said at the committee meeting. “When Mission would take residents down to the Plaza, in Westport, to go bar hop during the holiday season, that was one of my first times on a bus. And I feel very comfortable on KCATA buses now.”In theory, that kind of public support from new bus riders could pay off in the future if a regional transit sales tax is placed on the ballot.A sales tax has some support in the Jackson County Courthouse, and four out of five of the Unified Government commissioners elected earlier this month&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/10/23/wyandotte-county-election-2025-ug-districts/" target="_blank">told The Beacon that they would support putting a similar measure on the ballot</a>&nbsp;in Wyandotte County.Bunch said polling shows the majority of voters in Jackson, Johnson, Clay and Wyandotte counties&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/housing-development-section/2025-10-02/kansas-city-regional-transit-alliance-poll-sales-tax-bus-service" target="_blank">already support raising taxes to fund public transit</a>. And that could increase if the KCATA does a good job during the World Cup.“That is the opportunity we have with the World Cup, and enhancing bus service during that time,” he said. “That more people are going to be willing to try it out. And I think that that’s a really good thing.”This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/11/13/kcata-kansas-city-world-cup-public-transit/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

Kansas City wants state, federal help for extra bus service during World Cup

ANDREW COUNTY—Three people were injured in an accident just before 4:30p.m. Saturday in Andrew County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2021 Polaris Ranger Turbo S driven by a 40-year-old Savannah man was northbound on U.S. 71 just south of CR 57 four miles north of Savannah. The vehicle traveled off the west side of the road and struck a drainage culvert.

Andrew County EMS transported the driver and two passengers including a 45-year-old St. Joseph man and a 37-year-old Rosendale man to Mosaic Life Care. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

ANDREW COUNTY—Three people were injured in an accident just before 4:30p.m. Saturday in Andrew County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2021 Polaris Ranger Turbo S driven by a 40-year-old Savannah man was northbound on U.S. 71 just south of CR 57 four miles north of Savannah. The vehicle traveled off the west side of the road and struck a drainage culvert.Andrew County EMS transported the driver and two passengers including a 45-year-old St. Joseph man and a 37-year-old Rosendale man to Mosaic Life Care. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

3 Mo. men hospitalized after UTV accident

The Northwest Missouri State University football team fell to the Pittsburgh State Gorillas at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, losing 27-14 and settling for a shared regular season MIAA title.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Despite the Bearcats outgaining the Gorillas in both rushing and passing yards, four first half fumbles were to much to overcome for Northwest.

Head Coach John McMenamin gave credit to Pittsburgh State and says they just played a better game than Northwest

"I told our guys it's a good spot to be in, what I'm saying is they walked out conference champs, they're walking in conference champs, they're going to be a playoff team and that's all we can ask for," McMenamin says in his postgame press conference.&nbsp; "It didn't go our way today, but I think there's some things we can fix to play, and anytime you lose four fumbles it's not a good recipe for winning."

A strong offensive drive from the Bearcats, highlighted by a 65 yard run from Quincy Torry, opened the game to lead to a quick lead for Northwest as&nbsp;Zechariah Owens threw a three yard touchdown pass to Erwin Nash.&nbsp; On the ensuing Pitt State drive, the Bearcats forced a punt, but their first fumble of the game gave the ball right back to the Gorillas, allowing them to tie up the game.&nbsp;

Jackson Berry threw a 14 yard touchdown pass in the front corner of the endzone to Jaelon Travis.&nbsp; Then, on the next drive Pittsburgh State forced Owens to fumble, and then took advantage to take the lead, Berry throwing a 78 yard touchdown pass to TyJuan Atkins Jr, despite pressure from Carter Edwards, to go ahead 14-7.

On the ensuing kickoff, the third fumble of the half gave the ball back to Pittsburgh State, Cooper Warren fumbling the kickoff, but this time the Bearcats defense stepped up to force a punt, getting the ball back into their offenses hands.&nbsp; Northwest though was unable to do anything with it and had to punt it right back to start the second quarter.&nbsp;

Northwest's special teams unit prevented the Gorillas from scoring next, Edwards blocking a 47 yard field goal attempt, but again the Bearcats were forced to punt, and after getting the ball back on a Pittsburgh State punt, the fourth fumble extended the lead more, Madixx Morriss fumbling a reception from Chris Ruhnke, and freshman Quintin Kirby taking the ball 71 yards to the house for a 21-7 lead.&nbsp;

Near the end of the first half, Gorillas kicker Austin Schmitt hit a 28 yard field goal.&nbsp; Northwest attempted to drive the field for a late score in the half, but a sack on Ruhnke would wind down the remaining time of the first half and Pittsburgh State took a 24-7 lead into the halftime break.&nbsp;

Northwest could never overcome the four first half fumbles,&nbsp;McMenamin saying there's a difference between getting your butt kicked and self sabotage.

"We contributed to much to their victory," McMenamin says.&nbsp; "And we needed to play more secure football and I think all our guys know that they can, and so it's picking their heads up, we'll come back to work there's a formula for it, and we put it to work today but it just didn't work out."

The third quarter flew by with both defenses holding each other scoreless, the Bearcats finally breaking back onto the scoreboard midway into the final quarter with a five yard pass from Ruhnke to Gannon Gragert, just Gragert's second touchdown catch of the season.&nbsp; But, it was to little, to late, Pitt State consuming almost five minutes of clock, with Schmitt hitting a 30 yard field goal to seal the game.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ruhnke was 20 for 30 through the air for 202 yards with one touchdown, adding 35 rushing yards.&nbsp; Owens was a perfect 5 for 5 with one touchdown pass and 40 yards through the air, running for 13 yards.&nbsp; Torry rushed eight times for 101 yards.&nbsp; Nash had seven catches for 81 yards and a score.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Northwest finishes the regular season 9-2, 8-1 in the MIAA. They'll now turn their attention to the playoffs with the NCAA DII Selection Show coming up on Sunday at 5pm.

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763262044785.jpeg" alt="Chris Ruhnke (15) scrambles with the ball, attempting to score late in the game/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Chris Ruhnke (15) scrambles with the ball, attempting to score late in the game/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEThe Northwest Missouri State University football team fell to the Pittsburgh State Gorillas at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, losing 27-14 and settling for a shared regular season MIAA title.&nbsp; &nbsp;Despite the Bearcats outgaining the Gorillas in both rushing and passing yards, four first half fumbles were to much to overcome for Northwest.Head Coach John McMenamin gave credit to Pittsburgh State and says they just played a better game than Northwest"I told our guys it's a good spot to be in, what I'm saying is they walked out conference champs, they're walking in conference champs, they're going to be a playoff team and that's all we can ask for," McMenamin says in his postgame press conference.&nbsp; "It didn't go our way today, but I think there's some things we can fix to play, and anytime you lose four fumbles it's not a good recipe for winning."A strong offensive drive from the Bearcats, highlighted by a 65 yard run from Quincy Torry, opened the game to lead to a quick lead for Northwest as&nbsp;Zechariah Owens threw a three yard touchdown pass to Erwin Nash.&nbsp; On the ensuing Pitt State drive, the Bearcats forced a punt, but their first fumble of the game gave the ball right back to the Gorillas, allowing them to tie up the game.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">1Q ||| 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐇𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐒 😤 Owens -&gt; Nash -&gt; 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝟔 PAT is GOOD. 7-0, Bearcats. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OABAAB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OABAAB</a> ||| <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RISE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RISE</a> <a href="https://t.co/YhuExq1pu0">pic.twitter.com/YhuExq1pu0</a>&mdash; Northwest Football (@NWBearcat_FB) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWBearcat_FB/status/1989781565946101904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Jackson Berry threw a 14 yard touchdown pass in the front corner of the endzone to Jaelon Travis.&nbsp; Then, on the next drive Pittsburgh State forced Owens to fumble, and then took advantage to take the lead, Berry throwing a 78 yard touchdown pass to TyJuan Atkins Jr, despite pressure from Carter Edwards, to go ahead 14-7.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763262750393.jpeg" alt="Carter Edwards hits Pittsburgh State quarterback Jackson Berry (1) as Berry gets the ball off for a 78 yard touchdown pass/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Carter Edwards hits Pittsburgh State quarterback Jackson Berry (1) as Berry gets the ball off for a 78 yard touchdown pass/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure> On the ensuing kickoff, the third fumble of the half gave the ball back to Pittsburgh State, Cooper Warren fumbling the kickoff, but this time the Bearcats defense stepped up to force a punt, getting the ball back into their offenses hands.&nbsp; Northwest though was unable to do anything with it and had to punt it right back to start the second quarter.&nbsp;Northwest's special teams unit prevented the Gorillas from scoring next, Edwards blocking a 47 yard field goal attempt, but again the Bearcats were forced to punt, and after getting the ball back on a Pittsburgh State punt, the fourth fumble extended the lead more, Madixx Morriss fumbling a reception from Chris Ruhnke, and freshman Quintin Kirby taking the ball 71 yards to the house for a 21-7 lead.&nbsp;Near the end of the first half, Gorillas kicker Austin Schmitt hit a 28 yard field goal.&nbsp; Northwest attempted to drive the field for a late score in the half, but a sack on Ruhnke would wind down the remaining time of the first half and Pittsburgh State took a 24-7 lead into the halftime break.&nbsp;Northwest could never overcome the four first half fumbles,&nbsp;McMenamin saying there's a difference between getting your butt kicked and self sabotage."We contributed to much to their victory," McMenamin says.&nbsp; "And we needed to play more secure football and I think all our guys know that they can, and so it's picking their heads up, we'll come back to work there's a formula for it, and we put it to work today but it just didn't work out."The third quarter flew by with both defenses holding each other scoreless, the Bearcats finally breaking back onto the scoreboard midway into the final quarter with a five yard pass from Ruhnke to Gannon Gragert, just Gragert's second touchdown catch of the season.&nbsp; But, it was to little, to late, Pitt State consuming almost five minutes of clock, with Schmitt hitting a 30 yard field goal to seal the game.&nbsp;&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐍&#39; Ruhnke -&gt; Gragert -&gt; 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝟔 PAT is GOOD. 24-14, Gorillas. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OABAAB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OABAAB</a> ||| <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RISE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RISE</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZaAQCr8ztP">pic.twitter.com/ZaAQCr8ztP</a>&mdash; Northwest Football (@NWBearcat_FB) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWBearcat_FB/status/1989815927634903268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Ruhnke was 20 for 30 through the air for 202 yards with one touchdown, adding 35 rushing yards.&nbsp; Owens was a perfect 5 for 5 with one touchdown pass and 40 yards through the air, running for 13 yards.&nbsp; Torry rushed eight times for 101 yards.&nbsp; Nash had seven catches for 81 yards and a score.&nbsp;&nbsp;Northwest finishes the regular season 9-2, 8-1 in the MIAA. They'll now turn their attention to the playoffs with the NCAA DII Selection Show coming up on Sunday at 5pm.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763263731689.jpeg" alt="Zechariah Owens (10) drops back for a pass/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Zechariah Owens (10) drops back for a pass/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure> You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

First half fumbles hurt Bearcats in loss to Gorillas at Children's Mercy Park

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest.

Just before 8p.m. Nov. 13, Sheriff's Deputies were attempting to locate a wanted Kansas man at 133 W. 13th Street in Horton, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.

 A search warrant was granted for the residence and deputies&nbsp; executed the Warrant a short time later.&nbsp; &nbsp;Deputies found 45-year-old Gerald Adams of Horton hiding in a closet.&nbsp; He was arrested on a Brown County Felony Failure to Appear Warrant and is facing a charge of Felony Obstruction.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763138131977.png" alt="Adams photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Adams photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an arrest.Just before 8p.m. Nov. 13, Sheriff's Deputies were attempting to locate a wanted Kansas man at 133 W. 13th Street in Horton, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant. A search warrant was granted for the residence and deputies&nbsp; executed the Warrant a short time later.&nbsp; &nbsp;Deputies found 45-year-old Gerald Adams of Horton hiding in a closet.&nbsp; He was arrested on a Brown County Felony Failure to Appear Warrant and is facing a charge of Felony Obstruction.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sheriff: Wanted Kansas suspect found hiding in closet

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/0biwPzVOkq97kowbEI7v1q?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

KFEQ Week in Review

Beginning Friday at President Trump's direction, records related to Amelia Earhart's final flight and disappearance 88 years ago will be declassified and shared with the American people, according to a statement from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

These records&nbsp;include reports, maps, and other documents tracing Earhart's final journey, her last known communications and location, and the initial search following her disappearance.

Thanks to President Trump's&nbsp;leadership, a historic initiative is underway to digitize and publicly release these records from across the federal government, including newly declassified files today from <a href="https://x.com/NSAgov">@NSAgov</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1763176244130.png" alt="Photo courtesy National Archives" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy National Archives</figcaption>
 </figure>Beginning Friday at President Trump's direction, records related to Amelia Earhart's final flight and disappearance 88 years ago will be declassified and shared with the American people, according to a statement from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

These records&nbsp;include reports, maps, and other documents tracing Earhart's final journey, her last known communications and location, and the initial search following her disappearance.

Thanks to President Trump's&nbsp;leadership, a historic initiative is underway to digitize and publicly release these records from across the federal government, including newly declassified files today from <a href="https://x.com/NSAgov">@NSAgov</a>.

As agencies identify additional files, the new documents will be uploaded to <a href="https://x.com/USNatArchives">@USNatArchives</a> on a rolling basis, alongside those previously released, at <a href="https://t.co/O9e08dK1wN" target="_blank">http://archives.gov/ameliaearhart</a>.

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