A former Savannah
R3 School District employee has pleaded guilty to defrauding the school
district.

Anthony Moon of
Savannah has pleaded guilty to three federal charges, including wire fraud and
stealing from an employee benefit plan.

The United States
Attorney’s office for the Western District of Missouri accused Moon of going
into work afterhours to access blank checks. Federal attorneys say Moon wrote
several checks between January of 2023 to November of that year, stealing a total
of $63,000. Prosecutors say Moon also took money from the school checking
account to make nearly $30,000 in payments to his credit cards to pay for
Kansas City Chiefs tickets, food, gas, and retail purchases.

Moon worked as an
accountant for the Savannah R3 School District from 2018 to 2020, when he took
over Parker &amp; Associates in St. Joseph. Moon continued work for the Savannah
school district as a contractor.

Federal
prosecutors accuse Moon of embezzling a total of more than $92,000 from the
school district.

Moon is also
accused of withholding $21,000 from his employees’ Simple IRA Plan through
Parker &amp; Associates. He also failed to make $8,600 in employer-matching
contributions as required by law.

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

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA former Savannah
R3 School District employee has pleaded guilty to defrauding the school
district.Anthony Moon of
Savannah has pleaded guilty to three federal charges, including wire fraud and
stealing from an employee benefit plan.The United States
Attorney’s office for the Western District of Missouri accused Moon of going
into work afterhours to access blank checks. Federal attorneys say Moon wrote
several checks between January of 2023 to November of that year, stealing a total
of $63,000. Prosecutors say Moon also took money from the school checking
account to make nearly $30,000 in payments to his credit cards to pay for
Kansas City Chiefs tickets, food, gas, and retail purchases.Moon worked as an
accountant for the Savannah R3 School District from 2018 to 2020, when he took
over Parker &amp; Associates in St. Joseph. Moon continued work for the Savannah
school district as a contractor.Federal
prosecutors accuse Moon of embezzling a total of more than $92,000 from the
school district.Moon is also
accused of withholding $21,000 from his employees’ Simple IRA Plan through
Parker &amp; Associates. He also failed to make $8,600 in employer-matching
contributions as required by law.Moon awaits
sentencing.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Former Savannah school official pleas to defrauding school

Those wanting to get in on the action
during severe weather have an opportunity to learn more at a weather spotter
training class next month in St. Joseph.

Buchanan County Emergency Management
Director Bill Brinton says it’s important to get proper training to warn the
public during severe weather.

“And we do not encourage civilians to go
out and be storm spotters,” Brinton tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline.

Buchanan County and St. Joseph city
officials learned that lesson the hard way a few years ago.

“Somebody who identified themself as a
trained storm spotter had called the com center and told them that there was a
tornado down by De Kalb. And so, all the sirens are going off,” Birr says. “There
was no issue; checked with the National Weather Service (which) said there was
absolutely, positively no issue. We just want to make sure that what the public
gets is great information.”

The training seminar had been scheduled
for this evening, but was postponed to early next month due to the winter
storm.

Brinton says the training seminar will be
led by meteorologists from the National Weather Service Office in Pleasant
Hill.

“They bring it down to a level where
everybody can understand. And they take questions. We’ll have people there to
help answer,” Brinton says. “My goal is to just have people come and learn a
little bit about the weather.”

Brinton says the instructors will let those
attending really know what to look for when severe weather rolls in.

“Can we go outside and look at a cloud
and say, hey, that’s a wall cloud or they’re called scud clouds or some kind of
scary cloud or whatever? Do we really know what it’s about? And do we really
know what’s causing this tornado or what’s causing rain and everything?”
Brinton says. “Our goal is to make sure people understand how weather affects
them.”

The 2025 Weather Spotter Training seminar
has been rescheduled for March 10th at Grace Calvary Chapel off FF
in St. Joseph.

It is sponsored by the National Weather
Service, Buchanan County Emergency Management, and the City of St. Joseph
Emergency Management.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostThose wanting to get in on the action
during severe weather have an opportunity to learn more at a weather spotter
training class next month in St. Joseph.Buchanan County Emergency Management
Director Bill Brinton says it’s important to get proper training to warn the
public during severe weather.“And we do not encourage civilians to go
out and be storm spotters,” Brinton tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline.Buchanan County and St. Joseph city
officials learned that lesson the hard way a few years ago.“Somebody who identified themself as a
trained storm spotter had called the com center and told them that there was a
tornado down by De Kalb. And so, all the sirens are going off,” Birr says. “There
was no issue; checked with the National Weather Service (which) said there was
absolutely, positively no issue. We just want to make sure that what the public
gets is great information.”The training seminar had been scheduled
for this evening, but was postponed to early next month due to the winter
storm.Brinton says the training seminar will be
led by meteorologists from the National Weather Service Office in Pleasant
Hill.“They bring it down to a level where
everybody can understand. And they take questions. We’ll have people there to
help answer,” Brinton says. “My goal is to just have people come and learn a
little bit about the weather.”Brinton says the instructors will let those
attending really know what to look for when severe weather rolls in.“Can we go outside and look at a cloud
and say, hey, that’s a wall cloud or they’re called scud clouds or some kind of
scary cloud or whatever? Do we really know what it’s about? And do we really
know what’s causing this tornado or what’s causing rain and everything?”
Brinton says. “Our goal is to make sure people understand how weather affects
them.”The 2025 Weather Spotter Training seminar
has been rescheduled for March 10th at Grace Calvary Chapel off FF
in St. Joseph.It is sponsored by the National Weather
Service, Buchanan County Emergency Management, and the City of St. Joseph
Emergency Management.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Want to be a weather spotter? Buchanan County offers a training seminar

Bitter cold this morning has prompted the cancelation of in-class
school in many districts.

The St. Joseph School District has announced it will hold an AMI day
today, virtual learning, and has canceled in-person classes. The district
advises staff to refer to the Scenario A for their work schedule.

That will do it for the week for the St. Joseph School District. No school
was scheduled for Friday and students are off Monday for President’s
Day. Classes in the St. Joseph School District resume on Tuesday, February 18th.

The St. Joseph Catholic Academy and St. Joseph Christian School have
canceled classes today.

Savannah R3 School officials have scheduled an AMI day today; virtual
learning. All Savannah R3 Schools will be closed Thursday and will follow the
AMI Day schedule. Preschool and elementary students should finish Snow Day
Packet #4. Middle and High School students should access their assignments via
Canvas.

Click <a href="https://www.680kfeq.com/closing/#!/">HERE</a> for a full list of area cancelations.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostBitter cold this morning has prompted the cancelation of in-class
school in many districts.The St. Joseph School District has announced it will hold an AMI day
today, virtual learning, and has canceled in-person classes. The district
advises staff to refer to the Scenario A for their work schedule.That will do it for the week for the St. Joseph School District. No school
was scheduled for Friday and students are off Monday for President’s
Day. Classes in the St. Joseph School District resume on Tuesday, February 18th.The St. Joseph Catholic Academy and St. Joseph Christian School have
canceled classes today.Savannah R3 School officials have scheduled an AMI day today; virtual
learning. All Savannah R3 Schools will be closed Thursday and will follow the
AMI Day schedule. Preschool and elementary students should finish Snow Day
Packet #4. Middle and High School students should access their assignments via
Canvas.Click <a href="https://www.680kfeq.com/closing/#!/">HERE</a> for a full list of area cancelations.

Bitter cold prompts area school closings, including St. Joseph public, private schools

LIVINGSTON COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 11:30a.m. Wednesday in Livingston County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Dodge Dakota driven by a 74-year-old Chillicothe man was westbound on MO 190 nine miles west of Chillicothe.

The pickup traveled off the north side of the road, returned to the road, traveled off the south side of the road and struck a tree.

&nbsp;Chillicothe ambulance transported the driver to Hedrick Medical Center. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

The MSHP no longer releases identity of accident victims.

LIVINGSTON COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 11:30a.m. Wednesday in Livingston County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Dodge Dakota driven by a 74-year-old Chillicothe man was westbound on MO 190 nine miles west of Chillicothe.The pickup traveled off the north side of the road, returned to the road, traveled off the south side of the road and struck a tree.&nbsp;Chillicothe ambulance transported the driver to Hedrick Medical Center. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.The MSHP no longer releases identity of accident victims.

Missouri man injured after pickup strikes a tree

LIVINGSTON COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 8a.m. Wednesday in Livingston County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Volvo semi driven by a&nbsp; 29-year-old Ontario, Canada man was eastbound on U.S. 36 one mile east of Chillicothe.

The semi rear-ended a 2011 Freightliner driven by a 55-year-old man from Chillicothe. After impact the Freightliner traveled off the north side of the road, crossed the median and came to rest on its wheels.

Chillicothe EMS transported the Freightliner driver to Hedrick Medical Center. There were no other injuries. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.&nbsp; 

The Patrol no longer releases the identity of accident victims.

LIVINGSTON COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 8a.m. Wednesday in Livingston County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Volvo semi driven by a&nbsp; 29-year-old Ontario, Canada man was eastbound on U.S. 36 one mile east of Chillicothe.The semi rear-ended a 2011 Freightliner driven by a 55-year-old man from Chillicothe. After impact the Freightliner traveled off the north side of the road, crossed the median and came to rest on its wheels.Chillicothe EMS transported the Freightliner driver to Hedrick Medical Center. There were no other injuries. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.&nbsp; The Patrol no longer releases the identity of accident victims.

One injured after rear-end semi crash

North Central
Missouri College Savannah Campus Dean, Clarence Green, has been named
Northwest Missouri Citizen of the Year.

Green was
recognized during the Great Northwest Day at the Missouri Capitol earlier this
month.

The special day at
the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City provides leaders from 19 northwest
Missouri counties an opportunity to discuss regional needs with state
lawmakers.

Green, the second
recipient of the honor, was recognized at the Great Northwest Evening Reception
sponsored by Touchstone Energy Cooperative.

Green served
nearly 30 years at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville as police
chief and public safety officer before stepping into the role of interim
university president. After retirement from Northwest, Green began work for
North Central Missouri College.

Green has an
extensive list of honors, including Minority Access National Role Model,
Ingram’s Magazine’s “Top 50 Missourians You Should Know,” Savannah, Mo.,
Chamber Volunteer of the Year, Maryville Missouri Key to the City, Maryville
Missouri Chamber Fred Von Barren Citizen of the Year, Elks Lodge #760 Citizen
of the Year, Phi Beta Sigma Inc. George Washington Carver Humanitarian of the
Year, the Kansas City Northland Chamber Excellence in Higher Education, and the
University of Missouri Extension Leaders Honor Roll.

Clarence received
his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northwest Missouri State University
and his doctoral degree from the University of Missouri. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739377539366.jpeg" alt="Clarence Green (middle) receives the Northwest Missouri Citizen of the Year award at Great Northwest Day at the Missouri Capitol/Photo courtesy of the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce" />
 <figcaption>Clarence Green (middle) receives the Northwest Missouri Citizen of the Year award at Great Northwest Day at the Missouri Capitol/Photo courtesy of the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostNorth Central
Missouri College Savannah Campus Dean, Clarence Green, has been named
Northwest Missouri Citizen of the Year.Green was
recognized during the Great Northwest Day at the Missouri Capitol earlier this
month.The special day at
the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City provides leaders from 19 northwest
Missouri counties an opportunity to discuss regional needs with state
lawmakers.Green, the second
recipient of the honor, was recognized at the Great Northwest Evening Reception
sponsored by Touchstone Energy Cooperative.Green served
nearly 30 years at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville as police
chief and public safety officer before stepping into the role of interim
university president. After retirement from Northwest, Green began work for
North Central Missouri College.Green has an
extensive list of honors, including Minority Access National Role Model,
Ingram’s Magazine’s “Top 50 Missourians You Should Know,” Savannah, Mo.,
Chamber Volunteer of the Year, Maryville Missouri Key to the City, Maryville
Missouri Chamber Fred Von Barren Citizen of the Year, Elks Lodge #760 Citizen
of the Year, Phi Beta Sigma Inc. George Washington Carver Humanitarian of the
Year, the Kansas City Northland Chamber Excellence in Higher Education, and the
University of Missouri Extension Leaders Honor Roll.Clarence received
his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northwest Missouri State University
and his doctoral degree from the University of Missouri. You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Green named Northwest Missouri Citizen of the Year

A fleeing suspect
has been taken into custody after causing a three-vehicle crash late Tuesday night in which a St. Joseph police officer suffered minor injuries.

The St. Joseph
Police Department reports the suspect was fleeing police when he crashed into a
vehicle, causing the three-car wreck at 28th and Pear. Officers took
the fleeing subject into custody. The officer involved in the crash suffered
minor injuries and has been treated. The suspect also suffered minor injuries.

The St. Joseph
Police Department, the St. Joseph Fire Department, and Buchanan County EMS all
responded to the scene of the crash.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA fleeing suspect
has been taken into custody after causing a three-vehicle crash late Tuesday night in which a St. Joseph police officer suffered minor injuries.The St. Joseph
Police Department reports the suspect was fleeing police when he crashed into a
vehicle, causing the three-car wreck at 28th and Pear. Officers took
the fleeing subject into custody. The officer involved in the crash suffered
minor injuries and has been treated. The suspect also suffered minor injuries.The St. Joseph
Police Department, the St. Joseph Fire Department, and Buchanan County EMS all
responded to the scene of the crash.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph police officer suffers minor injuries in crash caused by fleeing suspect

A winter storm warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for the entire area.

The Weather Service expects 4 to 7 inches of snow throughout northwest Missouri, northeast Kansas, southeast Nebraska, and southwest Iowa. Snow has begun falling throughout the area, but the heavy snow isn't expected until midnight. The Winter Storm Warning officially begins at midnight and runs until 9pm on Wednesday.

The Weather Service says travel could be very difficult. The hazardous conditions
  are expected to impact the Wednesday morning and evening commutes.&nbsp;

Missouri Western State University has already announced its St. Joseph campus will be closed Wednesday due to the expected winter weather and hazardous road conditions.

Northwest Missouri State University has closed its campus in Maryville today.

The St. Joseph School District had already scheduled a professional day with students not expected to be in class on Wednesday. St. Joseph Catholic Academy has canceled classes today as has St. Joseph Christian School.

Savannah R3 Schools have closed all campuses. Savannah will follow its AMI Day schedule. All Preschool and elementary students should finish Snow Day Packet #3. Middle and High School students should access their assignments via Canvas.

Other area schools have canceled classes for Wednesday. Click <a href="https://www.680kfeq.com/closing/#!/">HERE</a> for a full roster of winter weather cancelations.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA winter storm warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for the entire area.The Weather Service expects 4 to 7 inches of snow throughout northwest Missouri, northeast Kansas, southeast Nebraska, and southwest Iowa. Snow has begun falling throughout the area, but the heavy snow isn't expected until midnight. The Winter Storm Warning officially begins at midnight and runs until 9pm on Wednesday.The Weather Service says travel could be very difficult. The hazardous conditions
 are expected to impact the Wednesday morning and evening commutes.&nbsp;Missouri Western State University has already announced its St. Joseph campus will be closed Wednesday due to the expected winter weather and hazardous road conditions.Northwest Missouri State University has closed its campus in Maryville today.The St. Joseph School District had already scheduled a professional day with students not expected to be in class on Wednesday. St. Joseph Catholic Academy has canceled classes today as has St. Joseph Christian School.Savannah R3 Schools have closed all campuses. Savannah will follow its AMI Day schedule. All Preschool and elementary students should finish Snow Day Packet #3. Middle and High School students should access their assignments via Canvas.Riverside USD 114 is closed today.Other area schools have canceled classes for Wednesday. Click <a href="https://www.680kfeq.com/closing/#!/">HERE</a> for a full roster of winter weather cancelations.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Winter storm moves into area, MWSU closes campus

It was an
explosive, actually a World War I explosive, but it was inactive and posed no
threat to the public.

The St. Joseph Police
Department reports a fire station received an unusual visit by a woman carrying
a World War I explosive devise she found among her father’s belongings. The
woman wanted to know if the shell was safe.

The department
says St. Joseph firefighters and police officers examined it and determined the
shell to be a non-lethal projectile from a World War I-era weapon that posed no
threat to the public.

The St. Joseph
Police Department commended the woman for seeking guidance on the projectile
rather than handling it on her own. The department urges the public to call 911
if they come upon similar devices so trained professionals can assess their
lethality.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostIt was an
explosive, actually a World War I explosive, but it was inactive and posed no
threat to the public.The St. Joseph Police
Department reports a fire station received an unusual visit by a woman carrying
a World War I explosive devise she found among her father’s belongings. The
woman wanted to know if the shell was safe.The department
says St. Joseph firefighters and police officers examined it and determined the
shell to be a non-lethal projectile from a World War I-era weapon that posed no
threat to the public.The St. Joseph
Police Department commended the woman for seeking guidance on the projectile
rather than handling it on her own. The department urges the public to call 911
if they come upon similar devices so trained professionals can assess their
lethality.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Woman walks into St. Joe fire station with WWI bomb; determined inactive

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

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

Winter weather cancelations

ANDREW COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just after 8:30p.m. Tuesday in Andrew County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2019 Jeep Renegade driven by a 21-year-old Savannah man was southbound at 10203 Route T two miles west of Savannah. The Jeep began to skid across the center line and struck a northbound 2005 Buick Lacrosse head-on.

Andrew County EMS transported the 21-year-old Buick driver to Mosaic Life Care. The Jeep driver refused treatment at the scene. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.&nbsp; 

The patrol no longer releases the identity of accident victims.

ANDREW COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just after 8:30p.m. Tuesday in Andrew County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2019 Jeep Renegade driven by a 21-year-old Savannah man was southbound at 10203 Route T two miles west of Savannah. The Jeep began to skid across the center line and struck a northbound 2005 Buick Lacrosse head-on.Andrew County EMS transported the 21-year-old Buick driver to Mosaic Life Care. The Jeep driver refused treatment at the scene. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.&nbsp; The patrol no longer releases the identity of accident victims.

One hospitalized after Andrew County head-on crash

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/bramsablesmith/">BRAM SABLE-SMITH</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/peggylowe/">PEGGY LOWE</a>&nbsp;

Emily Tavis was on a first date in December when she looked up and realized they were driving past the downtown Kansas City, Missouri, intersection where a bullet ripped through her leg at last year’s Super Bowl victory parade.

“Oh f—,” Tavis said, bewildering her date.

She lives 35 miles away in Leavenworth, Kansas, and hadn’t yet returned to Union Station, where the mass shooting happened. She felt like crying. Or maybe it was a panic attack. She held up a finger signaling to her date that she needed a moment. That’s when it hit him, too.

“Oh crap, I didn’t even realize,” he said, and kept driving in silence.

Tavis sucked in her tears until the station was out of view.

“So anyway,” she said aloud, while thinking to herself, “way to go. Panic attack, first date.”

A year after the Feb. 14 shooting that killed one and injured at least 24 people, the survivors and their families are still reeling. Relationships have strained. Parents are anxious about their children. The generous financial support and well wishes that poured through in early days have now dried up. And they’re ambivalent about the team they all root for; as the Chiefs moved on to another Super Bowl, many wondered why their beloved team hasn’t acknowledged what they have all been going through.

“I can’t believe the Chiefs didn’t do anything for us,” said Jacob Gooch Sr., who was shot in the foot. The team, the owner family’s foundation, and the National Football League gave a combined $200,000 to a fund for survivors, but Gooch said no one from the organization reached out to his family, three members of whom were shot.

What’s happening to these families is far from unusual. Many survivors emotionally freeze as a coping mechanism to avoid fully feeling the trauma they suffered. But with time, survivors experience what therapists call “thawing,” and the intensity of what happened can suddenly overpower them like it did Tavis.

“Trauma pulls us into the past,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-behrman-20322b7/" target="_blank">Gary Behrman</a>, a therapist who published a&nbsp;<a href="https://cretscmhd.psych.ucla.edu/nola/volunteer/EmpiricalStudies/Post-trauma%20intervention%20-%20basic%20tasks.pdf" target="_blank">model of crisis intervention</a>&nbsp;based on his work with witnesses of the 9/11 attacks in New York.

Sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and touches can all trigger flashbacks that shut down the brain like an overloaded circuit breaker. It’s a survival response, Behrman said; the brain is a friend.

The key to recovery is to help survivors find healthy ways to manage those triggers — when they are ready.

Survivors thaw at their own pace. Regaining control after a life-threatening event is a process that can take weeks, months, or years.

It can be hard not to feel forgotten when life carries on around them. As fans rallied around the Chiefs this season, survivors found it hard to watch the games. The Chiefs lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday’s Super Bowl. Philadelphia will hold its own parade on Friday, exactly one year after the shooting.

“It sucks because everybody else went on,” Jason Barton said. He performed CPR on a man he now thinks was one of the alleged shooters, his wife found a bullet slug in her backpack, and his stepdaughter was burned by sparks from a ricocheted bullet.

“If we were on the other side of that place, we would too,” he said. “It wouldn’t have affected us.”

Tavis isn’t the only survivor to have found herself unintentionally back at Union Station in the year since the shooting. Kids had field trips to Science City, located inside the station. Follow-up doctor visits were often on nearby Hospital Hill. An October dinner organized for survivors by a local faith-based group was less than a mile away, prompting one young survivor to decline the invitation.

Tavis had planned to return to Union Station as part of her healing process. She thought she would go on the one-year mark to have a moment alone to feel whatever emotions swept over her there.

Maybe God was showing her she was ready by placing her back there unexpectedly, her therapist told her. Maybe. But she didn’t feel ready in that moment.

Tavis wanted to see a therapist right after the shooting. But she didn’t seek one out until July, after the local United Way&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/kcstrong-fund-gunshot-victims-2-million-dollars/" target="_blank">distributed financial assistance</a>&nbsp;to survivors and relieved the months-long financial strain of lost work and medical bills incurred by many. Tavis and her partner at the time had&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/super-bowl-parade-shooting-survivors-donations-bills-wait-kansas-city/" target="_blank">taken out</a>&nbsp;an extra credit card to cover expenses while they waited for the promised help.

After two months of visits, her therapist started prepping Tavis for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, a technique to help trauma survivors. She now spends every other session making her way through a spreadsheet of memories from the parade, visualizing and reprocessing them one by one.

She’s nervous as the one-year mark approaches. It’s on Valentine’s Day, and she worries it’ll be depressing.

She decided to invite Gooch, her former partner, to come to Union Station with her that day. Despite everything, he’s the one who understands. They were at the parade together with their son and Jacob’s two older kids. Both Gooch Sr. and his older son, Jacob Gooch Jr., were also shot.

Gooch Sr. hasn’t worked since the parade. His job required standing for 10-hour shifts four days a week, but he couldn’t walk for months after a bullet shattered a bone in his foot and it slowly fused back together. He hoped to go back to work in July. But his foot didn’t heal correctly and he had surgery in August, followed by weeks of recovery.

His short-term disability ran out, as did his health insurance through work. His employer held his job for a while before releasing him in August. He’s applied for other jobs in and around Leavenworth: production, staffing agencies, auto repair. Nothing’s come through.

“We’ve all gone through problems, not just me,” Gooch Sr. said. “I got shot in my foot and haven’t worked for a year. There are people that have been through much worse stuff over the past year.”

He feels good walking now and can run short distances without pain. But he doesn’t know if he’ll ever play football again, a mainstay of his life since he can remember. He played safety for the semiprofessional&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcreapersfootball.com/" target="_blank">Kansas City Reapers</a>&nbsp;and, before the parade, the 38-year-old was considering making the 2024 season his last as a player.

“A lot more than football has been stolen from me in this last year. Like my whole life has been stolen from me,” Gooch Sr. said. “I really hate that part of it.”

And those emotions are painfully real. Trauma threatens our beliefs about ourselves, said Behrman, the therapist. Every person brings their own history to a traumatic event, a different identity that risks being shattered. The healing work that comes later often involves letting go and building something new.

Recently Gooch Sr. started going to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.faithwalkersoutreach.com/" target="_blank">new church</a>, led by the husband of someone he sang with in a children’s choir growing up. At a Sunday service this month, the pastor spoke about finding a path when you’re lost.

“I’m looking for the path. I’m in the grass right now,” Gooch Sr. said at his home later that evening.

“I’m obviously on a path, but I don’t know where I’m headed.”

Every day before Jason Barton goes to work, he asks his wife, Bridget, if he should stay home with her.

She’s said yes enough that he’s out of paid time off. Jason, who’s survived cancer and a heart attack, had to take unpaid leave in January when a bad case of the flu put him in the hospital. That’s real love, Bridget said with tearful eyes, sitting with Jason and her 14-year-old daughter, Gabriella, in their home in Osawatomie, Kansas.

Bridget has connected with the mother of another girl injured in the shooting. They’ve exchanged texts and voicemails throughout the year. It’s nice to have someone to talk to who gets it, Bridget said. They’re hoping to get the girls together to build a connection as well.

Except for a trip to therapy once a week, Bridget doesn’t leave the house much anymore. It can feel like a prison, she said, but she’s too scared to leave. “It’s my own internal hell,” she said. She keeps thinking about that bullet slug that lodged in her backpack. What if she’d been standing differently? What if they’d left 10 seconds earlier? Would things be different?

A Post-it note in her kitchen reminds her: “I’m safe. Gabriella is safe. I did the best I could.”

She carries a lot of guilt. About Jason staying home. About not leaving the house, even to see her grandkids. About wanting the family to go to the parade in the first place. At the same time, she knows she kind of thrived in the chaos after the shooting, taking charge of her daughter, talking to the police. It’s confusing.

The family has carried the trauma differently. In the six months after the parade, Jason watched reality TV shows that kept him out of his head — 23 seasons of “Deadliest Catch” and 21 seasons of “Gold Rush,” including spinoffs, he estimated. Lately he’s kept his mind occupied with a new hobby: building model cars and planes. He just finished a black 1968 Shelby Mustang, and next is an F4U-4 Corsair plane that Bridget got him.

Gabriella was unfazed about returning to Union Station for a class field trip to Science City, but she was startled when she saw a group of police officers inside the station. Her mom watched her location on her phone and texted her all day.

Gabriella took up boxing after the parade, then switched to wrestling. It had been going well, even felt empowering. But she’s stopped going, and Bridget thinks it’s partly due to the emotion of the anniversary — the first is always the hardest, her therapist said. Gabriella insisted that wrestling was just exhausting her.

Because they weren’t shot, the family didn’t benefit from resources available to other survivors. They understand that other families are recovering from bullet wounds or even mourning a death.

Still, it would be nice to have some acknowledgment of their emotional trauma. Their names have been in the news. You’d think the Chiefs would have at least sent a letter saying, “We’re sorry this happened to you,” Jason said.

Jason proposed to Bridget at a Chiefs game. Now watching games on TV triggers flashbacks.

“I want to be a part of Chiefs Kingdom again,” Bridget said, “but I just can’t. And that is a huge, really lonely feeling.”

‘There is a word called “resilience”’

One evening last October, survivors gathered with their families at a Mexican restaurant in downtown Kansas City.

Some came dressed in their Sunday best, some in red football jerseys. All ages, toddlers to 70-somethings, some from Missouri, some from Kansas. Some spoke only Spanish, some only English. Most of the two dozen people had never met before. But as they talked, they discovered the shooting that binds them also gave them a common language.

Two young boys realized they’d tossed a football during the jubilation before the violence erupted. A woman in her early 70s named Sarai Holguin remembered watching them play on that warm February day. After a blessing and dinner, Holguin, who was shot in the knee and has had four surgeries, stood to address the room.

“I was the first victim taken to the medical tent,” she said in Spanish, her words translated by a relative of another survivor. She saw everything, she explained, as, one by one, more survivors were brought to the tent for treatment, including Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a 43-year-old mother who was killed that day.

Yet in that tragedy, Holguin saw the beauty of people helping one another.

“This showed us that humanity is still alive, that love is still alive. There is a word called ‘resilience,’” Holguin said, the translator stumbling to understand the last word, as people in the audience caught it and shouted it out. “Resilience.”

“This word helps us overcome the problems we face,” Holguin said. “To try to put the tragic moment we all lived behind us and move on, we must remember the beautiful moments.”

This&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/the-injured-kansas-city-chiefs-parade-shooting-survivors-one-year-anniversary-trauma/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/" target="_blank">KFF Health News</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us" target="_blank">KFF Health News</a>&nbsp;is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/about-us" target="_blank">KFF</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739298705005.png" alt="Emily Tavis in Leavenworth, Kansas, on Feb. 2. Tavis has been rebuilding her sense of safety and stability in the year since she was shot in the leg at last year’s Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl celebration (Christopher Smith for KFF Health News)." />
 <figcaption>Emily Tavis in Leavenworth, Kansas, on Feb. 2. Tavis has been rebuilding her sense of safety and stability in the year since she was shot in the leg at last year’s Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl celebration (Christopher Smith for KFF Health News).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/bramsablesmith/">BRAM SABLE-SMITH</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/peggylowe/">PEGGY LOWE</a>&nbsp;Emily Tavis was on a first date in December when she looked up and realized they were driving past the downtown Kansas City, Missouri, intersection where a bullet ripped through her leg at last year’s Super Bowl victory parade.“Oh f—,” Tavis said, bewildering her date.She lives 35 miles away in Leavenworth, Kansas, and hadn’t yet returned to Union Station, where the mass shooting happened. She felt like crying. Or maybe it was a panic attack. She held up a finger signaling to her date that she needed a moment. That’s when it hit him, too.“Oh crap, I didn’t even realize,” he said, and kept driving in silence.Tavis sucked in her tears until the station was out of view.“So anyway,” she said aloud, while thinking to herself, “way to go. Panic attack, first date.”A year after the Feb. 14 shooting that killed one and injured at least 24 people, the survivors and their families are still reeling. Relationships have strained. Parents are anxious about their children. The generous financial support and well wishes that poured through in early days have now dried up. And they’re ambivalent about the team they all root for; as the Chiefs moved on to another Super Bowl, many wondered why their beloved team hasn’t acknowledged what they have all been going through.“I can’t believe the Chiefs didn’t do anything for us,” said Jacob Gooch Sr., who was shot in the foot. The team, the owner family’s foundation, and the National Football League gave a combined $200,000 to a fund for survivors, but Gooch said no one from the organization reached out to his family, three members of whom were shot.What’s happening to these families is far from unusual. Many survivors emotionally freeze as a coping mechanism to avoid fully feeling the trauma they suffered. But with time, survivors experience what therapists call “thawing,” and the intensity of what happened can suddenly overpower them like it did Tavis.“Trauma pulls us into the past,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-behrman-20322b7/" target="_blank">Gary Behrman</a>, a therapist who published a&nbsp;<a href="https://cretscmhd.psych.ucla.edu/nola/volunteer/EmpiricalStudies/Post-trauma%20intervention%20-%20basic%20tasks.pdf" target="_blank">model of crisis intervention</a>&nbsp;based on his work with witnesses of the 9/11 attacks in New York.Sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and touches can all trigger flashbacks that shut down the brain like an overloaded circuit breaker. It’s a survival response, Behrman said; the brain is a friend.The key to recovery is to help survivors find healthy ways to manage those triggers — when they are ready.Survivors thaw at their own pace. Regaining control after a life-threatening event is a process that can take weeks, months, or years.It can be hard not to feel forgotten when life carries on around them. As fans rallied around the Chiefs this season, survivors found it hard to watch the games. The Chiefs lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday’s Super Bowl. Philadelphia will hold its own parade on Friday, exactly one year after the shooting.“It sucks because everybody else went on,” Jason Barton said. He performed CPR on a man he now thinks was one of the alleged shooters, his wife found a bullet slug in her backpack, and his stepdaughter was burned by sparks from a ricocheted bullet.“If we were on the other side of that place, we would too,” he said. “It wouldn’t have affected us.”<h2>A trip back to Union Station</h2>Tavis isn’t the only survivor to have found herself unintentionally back at Union Station in the year since the shooting. Kids had field trips to Science City, located inside the station. Follow-up doctor visits were often on nearby Hospital Hill. An October dinner organized for survivors by a local faith-based group was less than a mile away, prompting one young survivor to decline the invitation.Tavis had planned to return to Union Station as part of her healing process. She thought she would go on the one-year mark to have a moment alone to feel whatever emotions swept over her there.Maybe God was showing her she was ready by placing her back there unexpectedly, her therapist told her. Maybe. But she didn’t feel ready in that moment.Tavis wanted to see a therapist right after the shooting. But she didn’t seek one out until July, after the local United Way&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/kcstrong-fund-gunshot-victims-2-million-dollars/" target="_blank">distributed financial assistance</a>&nbsp;to survivors and relieved the months-long financial strain of lost work and medical bills incurred by many. Tavis and her partner at the time had&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/super-bowl-parade-shooting-survivors-donations-bills-wait-kansas-city/" target="_blank">taken out</a>&nbsp;an extra credit card to cover expenses while they waited for the promised help.After two months of visits, her therapist started prepping Tavis for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, a technique to help trauma survivors. She now spends every other session making her way through a spreadsheet of memories from the parade, visualizing and reprocessing them one by one.She’s nervous as the one-year mark approaches. It’s on Valentine’s Day, and she worries it’ll be depressing.She decided to invite Gooch, her former partner, to come to Union Station with her that day. Despite everything, he’s the one who understands. They were at the parade together with their son and Jacob’s two older kids. Both Gooch Sr. and his older son, Jacob Gooch Jr., were also shot.<h2>Trauma changes who we are</h2>Gooch Sr. hasn’t worked since the parade. His job required standing for 10-hour shifts four days a week, but he couldn’t walk for months after a bullet shattered a bone in his foot and it slowly fused back together. He hoped to go back to work in July. But his foot didn’t heal correctly and he had surgery in August, followed by weeks of recovery.His short-term disability ran out, as did his health insurance through work. His employer held his job for a while before releasing him in August. He’s applied for other jobs in and around Leavenworth: production, staffing agencies, auto repair. Nothing’s come through.“We’ve all gone through problems, not just me,” Gooch Sr. said. “I got shot in my foot and haven’t worked for a year. There are people that have been through much worse stuff over the past year.”He feels good walking now and can run short distances without pain. But he doesn’t know if he’ll ever play football again, a mainstay of his life since he can remember. He played safety for the semiprofessional&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcreapersfootball.com/" target="_blank">Kansas City Reapers</a>&nbsp;and, before the parade, the 38-year-old was considering making the 2024 season his last as a player.“A lot more than football has been stolen from me in this last year. Like my whole life has been stolen from me,” Gooch Sr. said. “I really hate that part of it.”And those emotions are painfully real. Trauma threatens our beliefs about ourselves, said Behrman, the therapist. Every person brings their own history to a traumatic event, a different identity that risks being shattered. The healing work that comes later often involves letting go and building something new.Recently Gooch Sr. started going to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.faithwalkersoutreach.com/" target="_blank">new church</a>, led by the husband of someone he sang with in a children’s choir growing up. At a Sunday service this month, the pastor spoke about finding a path when you’re lost.“I’m looking for the path. I’m in the grass right now,” Gooch Sr. said at his home later that evening.“I’m obviously on a path, but I don’t know where I’m headed.”<h2>‘I did the best I could’</h2>Every day before Jason Barton goes to work, he asks his wife, Bridget, if he should stay home with her.She’s said yes enough that he’s out of paid time off. Jason, who’s survived cancer and a heart attack, had to take unpaid leave in January when a bad case of the flu put him in the hospital. That’s real love, Bridget said with tearful eyes, sitting with Jason and her 14-year-old daughter, Gabriella, in their home in Osawatomie, Kansas.Bridget has connected with the mother of another girl injured in the shooting. They’ve exchanged texts and voicemails throughout the year. It’s nice to have someone to talk to who gets it, Bridget said. They’re hoping to get the girls together to build a connection as well.Except for a trip to therapy once a week, Bridget doesn’t leave the house much anymore. It can feel like a prison, she said, but she’s too scared to leave. “It’s my own internal hell,” she said. She keeps thinking about that bullet slug that lodged in her backpack. What if she’d been standing differently? What if they’d left 10 seconds earlier? Would things be different?A Post-it note in her kitchen reminds her: “I’m safe. Gabriella is safe. I did the best I could.”She carries a lot of guilt. About Jason staying home. About not leaving the house, even to see her grandkids. About wanting the family to go to the parade in the first place. At the same time, she knows she kind of thrived in the chaos after the shooting, taking charge of her daughter, talking to the police. It’s confusing.The family has carried the trauma differently. In the six months after the parade, Jason watched reality TV shows that kept him out of his head — 23 seasons of “Deadliest Catch” and 21 seasons of “Gold Rush,” including spinoffs, he estimated. Lately he’s kept his mind occupied with a new hobby: building model cars and planes. He just finished a black 1968 Shelby Mustang, and next is an F4U-4 Corsair plane that Bridget got him.Gabriella was unfazed about returning to Union Station for a class field trip to Science City, but she was startled when she saw a group of police officers inside the station. Her mom watched her location on her phone and texted her all day.Gabriella took up boxing after the parade, then switched to wrestling. It had been going well, even felt empowering. But she’s stopped going, and Bridget thinks it’s partly due to the emotion of the anniversary — the first is always the hardest, her therapist said. Gabriella insisted that wrestling was just exhausting her.Because they weren’t shot, the family didn’t benefit from resources available to other survivors. They understand that other families are recovering from bullet wounds or even mourning a death.Still, it would be nice to have some acknowledgment of their emotional trauma. Their names have been in the news. You’d think the Chiefs would have at least sent a letter saying, “We’re sorry this happened to you,” Jason said.Jason proposed to Bridget at a Chiefs game. Now watching games on TV triggers flashbacks.“I want to be a part of Chiefs Kingdom again,” Bridget said, “but I just can’t. And that is a huge, really lonely feeling.”<h2>‘There is a word called “resilience”’</h2>One evening last October, survivors gathered with their families at a Mexican restaurant in downtown Kansas City.Some came dressed in their Sunday best, some in red football jerseys. All ages, toddlers to 70-somethings, some from Missouri, some from Kansas. Some spoke only Spanish, some only English. Most of the two dozen people had never met before. But as they talked, they discovered the shooting that binds them also gave them a common language.Two young boys realized they’d tossed a football during the jubilation before the violence erupted. A woman in her early 70s named Sarai Holguin remembered watching them play on that warm February day. After a blessing and dinner, Holguin, who was shot in the knee and has had four surgeries, stood to address the room.“I was the first victim taken to the medical tent,” she said in Spanish, her words translated by a relative of another survivor. She saw everything, she explained, as, one by one, more survivors were brought to the tent for treatment, including Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a 43-year-old mother who was killed that day.Yet in that tragedy, Holguin saw the beauty of people helping one another.“This showed us that humanity is still alive, that love is still alive. There is a word called ‘resilience,’” Holguin said, the translator stumbling to understand the last word, as people in the audience caught it and shouted it out. “Resilience.”“This word helps us overcome the problems we face,” Holguin said. “To try to put the tragic moment we all lived behind us and move on, we must remember the beautiful moments.”This&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/the-injured-kansas-city-chiefs-parade-shooting-survivors-one-year-anniversary-trauma/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/" target="_blank">KFF Health News</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us" target="_blank">KFF Health News</a>&nbsp;is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/about-us" target="_blank">KFF</a>.

A year after KC Super Bowl parade shooting, trauma freeze gives way to turmoil for survivors

The Missouri Department Transportation is preparing for another winter storm.  

Northwest District Maintenace and Traffic Engineer Greg Bolon says before the storm crews have been out treating the roads with a salt brine 

"All that is is basically liquid salt if you will, the water evaporates and it leaves residual salt crystals on the roadway that way whenever the snow starts falling it will actually react with that salt that's left there and create more brine," Bolon tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  "And hopefully it will keep the precip that's falling from bonding to the pavement and that makes it an easier job for cleaning up." 

Bolon says despite last month's major storm; the department is still well prepared with materials.  

However, Bolon points out the difficult part of having storms like this, with another high chance of snow this weekend, it taxes their resources. 

"You're working 12 hour shifts back-to-back to back and so that's tough, and it's also hard on the equipment because the employees are working 12-hour days, but the equipment is working 24/7 non-stop," Bolon explains.  "And so, you tend to have more minor issues with stuff, windshield wipers need replaced, snowplow blades need replaced, and just when you're running equipment that hard for that long, it takes a toll." 

Bolon says though unlike last month's this storm seems like it will be more gradual rather than the blinding snow that made for difficult driving conditions.  

Bolon says after fighting that, some of MoDOT's newer snowplow drivers are geared up for this storm.  

"I think we kind of got some of our drivers baptized under fire if you will with that last storm, but I think they are trained up and ready to go," Bolon says.  "And I would rather see us in the snowplowing than having to fight with sleet, freezing rain, and ice, because those are harder conditions to deal with." 

Bolon advises drivers to stay inside during the winter storm if they don't have to get out.  

"But if you are out and you see a MoDOT truck, understand that we're not plowing at 50, 60, 70 miles per hour, that truck is going slow, so you're going to come upon it quicker," Bolon points out.  "They're going to be salting behind it or they may be pushing snow, so your visibility probably going to be less around a MoDOT truck that is plowing snow, because wind you may see this snow cloud around it, just give us room." 

The National Weather Service is projecting five to eight inches of snow to fall tomorrow.  A Winter Storm Warning is in effect until 9pm tomorrow night. 

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739305585310.jpeg" alt="File photo" />
 <figcaption>File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post The Missouri Department Transportation is preparing for another winter storm. Northwest District Maintenace and Traffic Engineer Greg Bolon says before the storm crews have been out treating the roads with a salt brine "All that is is basically liquid salt if you will, the water evaporates and it leaves residual salt crystals on the roadway that way whenever the snow starts falling it will actually react with that salt that's left there and create more brine," Bolon tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "And hopefully it will keep the precip that's falling from bonding to the pavement and that makes it an easier job for cleaning up." Bolon says despite last month's major storm; the department is still well prepared with materials. However, Bolon points out the difficult part of having storms like this, with another high chance of snow this weekend, it taxes their resources. "You're working 12 hour shifts back-to-back to back and so that's tough, and it's also hard on the equipment because the employees are working 12-hour days, but the equipment is working 24/7 non-stop," Bolon explains. "And so, you tend to have more minor issues with stuff, windshield wipers need replaced, snowplow blades need replaced, and just when you're running equipment that hard for that long, it takes a toll." Bolon says though unlike last month's this storm seems like it will be more gradual rather than the blinding snow that made for difficult driving conditions. Bolon says after fighting that, some of MoDOT's newer snowplow drivers are geared up for this storm. "I think we kind of got some of our drivers baptized under fire if you will with that last storm, but I think they are trained up and ready to go," Bolon says. "And I would rather see us in the snowplowing than having to fight with sleet, freezing rain, and ice, because those are harder conditions to deal with." Bolon advises drivers to stay inside during the winter storm if they don't have to get out. "But if you are out and you see a MoDOT truck, understand that we're not plowing at 50, 60, 70 miles per hour, that truck is going slow, so you're going to come upon it quicker," Bolon points out. "They're going to be salting behind it or they may be pushing snow, so your visibility probably going to be less around a MoDOT truck that is plowing snow, because wind you may see this snow cloud around it, just give us room." The National Weather Service is projecting five to eight inches of snow to fall tomorrow. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect until 9pm tomorrow night. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

MoDOT preparing for next bout with winter weather

A local state legislator will chair the
newly created Special Committee on Rural Issues.

Rep. Dean Van Schoiack, a Republican from
Savannah, says one of the issues his committee will study is eminent domain.

“That’s huge for rural issues,” Van
Schoiack tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “I suspect we’ll be hearing some water
bills, whether it be exporting of water out of the state, prohibiting exporting
water out of the state.”

Eminent domain became a hot button issue
during debate on the Grain Belt Express, the electric transmission line
carrying wind-generated electricity from Kansas to the East Coast through
northern Missouri.

Van Schoiack says one issue the committee
will consider is expanding the use of regional jails to share costs as well as
the burden of running a jail.

“DeKalb and Daviess Counties have the
only regional jail in the state of Missouri right now. They’re needing to build
a new jail. They need more funding for it,” Van Schoiack says the two counties
have reached their taxation cap and need it raised. “And then it also would
allow other counties to join a regional jail district by voting it in and
voting the same taxes the current counties have.”

Van Schoiack acknowledges many different
issues can be considered rural issues.

“I’m glad for that,” Van Schoiack says.
“That means that we’ve got a chance at hearing a lot of different bills that
pertain to rural Missouri and there is more than just one issue in rural
Missouri. There are a lot of things that can affect us.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739295581725.jpeg" alt="Rep. Dean Van Schoiack/file photo" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Dean Van Schoiack/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA local state legislator will chair the
newly created Special Committee on Rural Issues.Rep. Dean Van Schoiack, a Republican from
Savannah, says one of the issues his committee will study is eminent domain.“That’s huge for rural issues,” Van
Schoiack tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “I suspect we’ll be hearing some water
bills, whether it be exporting of water out of the state, prohibiting exporting
water out of the state.”Eminent domain became a hot button issue
during debate on the Grain Belt Express, the electric transmission line
carrying wind-generated electricity from Kansas to the East Coast through
northern Missouri.Van Schoiack says one issue the committee
will consider is expanding the use of regional jails to share costs as well as
the burden of running a jail.“DeKalb and Daviess Counties have the
only regional jail in the state of Missouri right now. They’re needing to build
a new jail. They need more funding for it,” Van Schoiack says the two counties
have reached their taxation cap and need it raised. “And then it also would
allow other counties to join a regional jail district by voting it in and
voting the same taxes the current counties have.”Van Schoiack acknowledges many different
issues can be considered rural issues.“I’m glad for that,” Van Schoiack says.
“That means that we’ve got a chance at hearing a lot of different bills that
pertain to rural Missouri and there is more than just one issue in rural
Missouri. There are a lot of things that can affect us.”You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Local legislator to chair new Special Committee on Rural Issues

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>

Universities and hospitals are among the institutions that would need to cut their budget under proposed changes to how medical research grants are funded by the National Institutes of Health

Missouri universities and research organizations will need to cut about $100 million from administrative costs for research funded last year by the National Institutes of Health or replace the money from other sources if President Donald Trump’s attempt to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/10/repub/research-universities-medical-schools-reel-from-trumps-catastrophic-nih-funding-cut/">reduce indirect costs</a>&nbsp;is successful.

There were&nbsp;<a href="https://report.nih.gov/award/index.cfm?ot=&amp;fy=2024&amp;state=MO&amp;ic=&amp;fm=&amp;orgid=&amp;distr=&amp;rfa=&amp;om=n&amp;pid=&amp;view=statedetail" target="_blank">1,553 grants worth $901 million</a>&nbsp;issued by the NIH to Missouri institutions during the most recent federal fiscal year. The recipients reported spending as much as 30% of their grant on indirect costs to support their research.

The grants allow research into medical problems, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://medicine.washu.edu/news/washu-medicine-leads-two-major-pandemic-preparedness-research-projects/" target="_blank">pandemic preparedness</a>&nbsp;or the control of infections acquired in hospitals, as well as agriculture and veterinary research including the Swine Resource Center at the University of Missouri or public health problems such as how policies on E-cigarettes impact youth tobacco use.

A federal judge on Monday evening issued a temporary restraining order blocking the cuts in response to a lawsuit&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/10/repub/federal-judge-orders-all-grant-and-loan-payments-must-be-resumed-by-trump-administration/">joined by 22 states</a>, not including Missouri. The order covered all federal funding cuts made since Trump took office Jan. 20.

By far the biggest recipient was Washington University in St. Louis, which received 1,192 grants totaling $732 million, followed by the 162 grants worth almost $70 to the&nbsp;<a href="https://undergradresearch.missouri.edu/mizzou-and-the-nih/" target="_blank">University of Missouri’s Columbia campus</a>.

Both universities spend well above the 15% cap on indirect costs set as the goal for NIH research under the new policy.Other significant recipients of NIH grants in Missouri include St. Louis University, which received 63 worth $25.8 million; Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, which landed 26 grants worth $9.7 million; and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, which received 19 grants worth $5.1 million in the most recent fiscal year.

Washington University reported it will have about $189 million in indirect costs for its grants, or about 26% of the total. The University of Missouri reported its indirect costs will be about $21 million, or 30% of the amount awarded.

In a message to the&nbsp;<a href="https://andrewdmartin.washu.edu/update-on-research-funding/" target="_blank">Washington University campus</a>, Chancellor Andrew Martin said the campus administration is reviewing the new rule, which will “have a significant impact on institutions like WashU” and is working to get the new rule reversed.

“We’re mobilized on multiple fronts,” Martin wrote. “Our leadership team is closely reviewing the policy, and our government relations team is engaging with congressional representatives and others to ensure that they understand the consequences of these cuts and are encouraged to act to address this threat to research and its many benefits to society.”

To get indirect costs below 15% for the grants awarded in fiscal 2024, Washington University would have to cut about $80 million in administrative expenses or find it from other sources.

At the University of Missouri, indirect costs exceed the new threshold by about $10 million for the Columbia campus. There are a handful of grants for the other three campuses — University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Missouri-St. Louis and Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla — that would add about $1.7 million to that amount.

The university system administration was unable to say Monday whether it would cut costs — likely resulting in job losses — or cover the shortfall from other resources.

NIH funding supports research in agriculture, biomedical sciences and advanced technologies at the university, according to a statement issued by University of Missouri spokesman Christopher Ave.

The change in indirect funding “would mean significant annual reductions in funding for our vital NIH-sponsored research that saves lives, creates jobs, enhances national security and improves quality of life for people in every part of our state and across the nation,” Ave said. Like Washington University, the UM System is working to get the decision reversed, the statement said.

“Our leadership is communicating with key stakeholders in government, the private sector, other universities and other communities,” Ave said.. “Leaders of our campuses have directed faculty and staff working on NIH and other federal grants to continue their important research and to keep submitting NIH proposals as well as other federal agency grants as we further assess the situation.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739278458115.png" alt=" A National Institutes of Health Pediatric Oncology Branch POB researcher's lab jacket. The NIH is seeking to implement a policy capping overhead costs in research, a move that could cost Missouri institutions about $100 million. (Photo credit: NIH)" />
 <figcaption> A National Institutes of Health Pediatric Oncology Branch POB researcher's lab jacket. The NIH is seeking to implement a policy capping overhead costs in research, a move that could cost Missouri institutions about $100 million. (Photo credit: NIH)</figcaption>
 </figure>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><h2>Universities and hospitals are among the institutions that would need to cut their budget under proposed changes to how medical research grants are funded by the National Institutes of Health</h2>Missouri universities and research organizations will need to cut about $100 million from administrative costs for research funded last year by the National Institutes of Health or replace the money from other sources if President Donald Trump’s attempt to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/10/repub/research-universities-medical-schools-reel-from-trumps-catastrophic-nih-funding-cut/">reduce indirect costs</a>&nbsp;is successful.There were&nbsp;<a href="https://report.nih.gov/award/index.cfm?ot=&amp;fy=2024&amp;state=MO&amp;ic=&amp;fm=&amp;orgid=&amp;distr=&amp;rfa=&amp;om=n&amp;pid=&amp;view=statedetail" target="_blank">1,553 grants worth $901 million</a>&nbsp;issued by the NIH to Missouri institutions during the most recent federal fiscal year. The recipients reported spending as much as 30% of their grant on indirect costs to support their research.The grants allow research into medical problems, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://medicine.washu.edu/news/washu-medicine-leads-two-major-pandemic-preparedness-research-projects/" target="_blank">pandemic preparedness</a>&nbsp;or the control of infections acquired in hospitals, as well as agriculture and veterinary research including the Swine Resource Center at the University of Missouri or public health problems such as how policies on E-cigarettes impact youth tobacco use.A federal judge on Monday evening issued a temporary restraining order blocking the cuts in response to a lawsuit&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/02/10/repub/federal-judge-orders-all-grant-and-loan-payments-must-be-resumed-by-trump-administration/">joined by 22 states</a>, not including Missouri. The order covered all federal funding cuts made since Trump took office Jan. 20.By far the biggest recipient was Washington University in St. Louis, which received 1,192 grants totaling $732 million, followed by the 162 grants worth almost $70 to the&nbsp;<a href="https://undergradresearch.missouri.edu/mizzou-and-the-nih/" target="_blank">University of Missouri’s Columbia campus</a>.Both universities spend well above the 15% cap on indirect costs set as the goal for NIH research under the new policy.Other significant recipients of NIH grants in Missouri include St. Louis University, which received 63 worth $25.8 million; Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, which landed 26 grants worth $9.7 million; and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, which received 19 grants worth $5.1 million in the most recent fiscal year.Washington University reported it will have about $189 million in indirect costs for its grants, or about 26% of the total. The University of Missouri reported its indirect costs will be about $21 million, or 30% of the amount awarded.In a message to the&nbsp;<a href="https://andrewdmartin.washu.edu/update-on-research-funding/" target="_blank">Washington University campus</a>, Chancellor Andrew Martin said the campus administration is reviewing the new rule, which will “have a significant impact on institutions like WashU” and is working to get the new rule reversed.“We’re mobilized on multiple fronts,” Martin wrote. “Our leadership team is closely reviewing the policy, and our government relations team is engaging with congressional representatives and others to ensure that they understand the consequences of these cuts and are encouraged to act to address this threat to research and its many benefits to society.”To get indirect costs below 15% for the grants awarded in fiscal 2024, Washington University would have to cut about $80 million in administrative expenses or find it from other sources.At the University of Missouri, indirect costs exceed the new threshold by about $10 million for the Columbia campus. There are a handful of grants for the other three campuses — University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Missouri-St. Louis and Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla — that would add about $1.7 million to that amount.The university system administration was unable to say Monday whether it would cut costs — likely resulting in job losses — or cover the shortfall from other resources.NIH funding supports research in agriculture, biomedical sciences and advanced technologies at the university, according to a statement issued by University of Missouri spokesman Christopher Ave.The change in indirect funding “would mean significant annual reductions in funding for our vital NIH-sponsored research that saves lives, creates jobs, enhances national security and improves quality of life for people in every part of our state and across the nation,” Ave said. Like Washington University, the UM System is working to get the decision reversed, the statement said.“Our leadership is communicating with key stakeholders in government, the private sector, other universities and other communities,” Ave said.. “Leaders of our campuses have directed faculty and staff working on NIH and other federal grants to continue their important research and to keep submitting NIH proposals as well as other federal agency grants as we further assess the situation.”

Trump admin. medical research cuts could mean $100 million loss in Missouri

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a convicted felon on new allegations of a violent crime.

Just&nbsp;before midnight on January 24, officers responded to a disturbance at a residence in the 700 block Kearney in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson. Two victims, a 66-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman reported that during the disturbance they were struck in the head with a handgun by 20-year-old Colten Cornett.

Cornett had left the residence before officers arrived.&nbsp;On February 3, police took him&nbsp;into custody in the 800 block North 9th Street on a Kansas Department of Corrections detain order for parole violation.&nbsp; He is still in custody. Cornett has a previous conviction for&nbsp;Flee or elude Law Enforcement with five or more moving violations, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739204522324.png" alt="Cornett photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Cornett photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a convicted felon on new allegations of a violent crime.Just&nbsp;before midnight on January 24, officers responded to a disturbance at a residence in the 700 block Kearney in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson. Two victims, a 66-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman reported that during the disturbance they were struck in the head with a handgun by 20-year-old Colten Cornett.Cornett had left the residence before officers arrived.&nbsp;On February 3, police took him&nbsp;into custody in the 800 block North 9th Street on a Kansas Department of Corrections detain order for parole violation.&nbsp; He is still in custody. Cornett has a previous conviction for&nbsp;Flee or elude Law Enforcement with five or more moving violations, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Police: Kan. felon struck man, woman in head with a handgun

Missouri saw a drop in statewide traffic deaths last year.  

Preliminary data shows 954 fatalities occurred last year, a 4 percent drop from 2023, and a 10 percent drop from 2022.  

Seargent Shane Hux with Troop H of the Missouri Highway Patrol says one reason for this is safer traveling conditions. 

"The roadways that we travel on today are safer, the vehicles that are being operated today are safer, and also it’s enforcement efforts and then you have to contribute that as well to the motoring public,” Hux tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  

 Hux says the patrol hopes to see the trend continue and says the goal to help that happen for the patrol is a commitment to public safety 

"Enforcement efforts will continue on our end, and then through the motoring public as well, remember driving is a full time job, anytime you operate a motor vehicle not only is your life and the passengers of your vehicles life in your hands, but every other motorist, every other pedestrian out there on the roadway falls into that,” Hux explains.  

While Missouri saw a decline in the number of roadway in fatalities during 2024, there was a record number of pedestrian fatality related accidents.  

Hux says with the recent winter weather, a high number of pedestrian fatalities came from cars sliding into stranded drivers.  

Hux says as a pedestrian, especially when walking near a roadway, it's just as important to pay attention as it is while driving 

"You know we talk about texting and driving a lot, but also if you’re walking close to the roadway, that’s not a good time to be looking at your phone, having earbuds in,” Hux says.  “Because as a pedestrian, your job is to keep yourself safe as well, so make sure you can see traffic, hear traffic.” 

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostMissouri saw a drop in statewide traffic deaths last year. Preliminary data shows 954 fatalities occurred last year, a 4 percent drop from 2023, and a 10 percent drop from 2022. Seargent Shane Hux with Troop H of the Missouri Highway Patrol says one reason for this is safer traveling conditions. "The roadways that we travel on today are safer, the vehicles that are being operated today are safer, and also it’s enforcement efforts and then you have to contribute that as well to the motoring public,” Hux tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. Hux says the patrol hopes to see the trend continue and says the goal to help that happen for the patrol is a commitment to public safety "Enforcement efforts will continue on our end, and then through the motoring public as well, remember driving is a full time job, anytime you operate a motor vehicle not only is your life and the passengers of your vehicles life in your hands, but every other motorist, every other pedestrian out there on the roadway falls into that,” Hux explains. While Missouri saw a decline in the number of roadway in fatalities during 2024, there was a record number of pedestrian fatality related accidents. Hux says with the recent winter weather, a high number of pedestrian fatalities came from cars sliding into stranded drivers. Hux says as a pedestrian, especially when walking near a roadway, it's just as important to pay attention as it is while driving "You know we talk about texting and driving a lot, but also if you’re walking close to the roadway, that’s not a good time to be looking at your phone, having earbuds in,” Hux says. “Because as a pedestrian, your job is to keep yourself safe as well, so make sure you can see traffic, hear traffic.” During 2024, 148 pedestrian accidents resulted in fatalities, which is a 16 percent increase from 2023.