People will have an opportunity to experience the Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art for free. 

Communications and Marketing Director Dansare Lawrence says the annual free museum after hours event is coming up tomorrow. 

"With that we always have an artist's trading card swap and this time we're going to have a painting demonstration by Jill Tichenor, she's one of our fantastic teachers who works in pastels, and so she'll be doing a painting demonstration live in the gallery," Lawrence tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr.  

There will also be an art supplies swap in the basement of the Carriage House, where artists can swap their supplies for unused supplies from the Albrecht. 

A new exhibition is being held at the Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art.  

The exhibit called Small Wonders features works from Debra Keirce, Denise Horn-Kaplan and Brenda Morgan.  

Lawrence says these artists work in miniatures and pay homage to a classical art form. 

"Miniatures have been made for close to 25 hundred years and they were kind of very often intimate little gifts that people could give to each other to court someone or to share with a loved family member," Lawrence explains. "So, these are really special little pieces that they like to say that they invite the viewers to lean in and look a little closer." 

The exhibition will run through September 15th.  An opportunity to view the exhibit for free comes tomorrow (Tues.) during a free museum after hours event, running from 5 to 7pm. 

Several art classes are also being held at the Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art in St. Joseph.  

An upcoming class this week, a Collage Workshop hosted by Robin Vanhoozer. 

Lawrence says the class will focus on creating a personal narrative through collage work 

"So that's kind of just merging imagery that you can find in magazines and books and kind of pulling little pieces together that really find your personal voice and who you are and describe you," Lawrence says. "That's a very fun medium to work in." 

And Lawrence adds it's also a very unintimidating medium to work in, not having to draw anything specifically and just working to combine different art methods.  

The class will be held on Wednesday from 10am t0 4pm. You can contact the Albrecht with any additional questions or click <a href="https://www.albrecht-kemper.org/calendar/collage-workshop">HERE</a> for more information.

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post People will have an opportunity to experience the Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art for free. Communications and Marketing Director Dansare Lawrence says the annual free museum after hours event is coming up tomorrow. "With that we always have an artist's trading card swap and this time we're going to have a painting demonstration by Jill Tichenor, she's one of our fantastic teachers who works in pastels, and so she'll be doing a painting demonstration live in the gallery," Lawrence tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. There will also be an art supplies swap in the basement of the Carriage House, where artists can swap their supplies for unused supplies from the Albrecht. A new exhibition is being held at the Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art. The exhibit called Small Wonders features works from Debra Keirce, Denise Horn-Kaplan and Brenda Morgan. Lawrence says these artists work in miniatures and pay homage to a classical art form. "Miniatures have been made for close to 25 hundred years and they were kind of very often intimate little gifts that people could give to each other to court someone or to share with a loved family member," Lawrence explains. "So, these are really special little pieces that they like to say that they invite the viewers to lean in and look a little closer." The exhibition will run through September 15th. An opportunity to view the exhibit for free comes tomorrow (Tues.) during a free museum after hours event, running from 5 to 7pm. Several art classes are also being held at the Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art in St. Joseph. An upcoming class this week, a Collage Workshop hosted by Robin Vanhoozer. Lawrence says the class will focus on creating a personal narrative through collage work "So that's kind of just merging imagery that you can find in magazines and books and kind of pulling little pieces together that really find your personal voice and who you are and describe you," Lawrence says. "That's a very fun medium to work in." And Lawrence adds it's also a very unintimidating medium to work in, not having to draw anything specifically and just working to combine different art methods. The class will be held on Wednesday from 10am t0 4pm. You can contact the Albrecht with any additional questions or click <a href="https://www.albrecht-kemper.org/calendar/collage-workshop">HERE</a> for more information.

New classes, exhibits and fun experiences at the Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art

A difficult personal experience motivated an area state
senator to push for post-traumatic stress disorder treatment in the Missouri
state budget.

Sen. Rusty Black of Chillicothe sponsored a bill appropriating
$4.3 million toward PTSD treatment for Missouri’s military personnel, police,
firefighters, and other emergency personnel.

Black came face-to-face with the problems of PTSD when his son
came home from the military threatening to take his own life.

“In three days, Rusty Black and Karie Black knew a hell of a
lot more about PTSD and how to do treatment than what we would have ever known
before,” Black tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So, instead of my wife and I
staying quiet about it, we’re trying to bring treatments to the state of
Missouri.”

Black says his son received successful treatment, but had to
seek it in Texas.

The senator says the money in the Missouri budget would fund
clinics throughout the state, including two in Kansas City as well as a mobile
unit that could provide treatment to rural Missouri.

Black says those tasked with difficult and dangerous jobs need
to know they can get support.

“Because if I remember right, the police officer that took his
life from St. Joe, I believe he had a Bronze Star. He probably served in the
military the same time my son did,” Black says. “And we need them to know that there’s
help out there and there’s various ways to be able to get treatment and try to
promote it.”

St. Joseph Police Officer Kyle Graham took his own life May 30th.
Graham earned two Bronze Stars during his service in Afghanistan and Iraq as
part of Bravo Company 2-22 Infantry, 10th Mountain Division. Graham
also served as a captain in the Army Reserves 209th Regional Support
Group. Graham was 40.

The death of Graham by suicide tragically brought home the
pressures on those who have served in the military as well as those active in
the police force.

St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster calls Graham’s death a
tragic loss for the department and the community.

“I think it’s important for our community to know, for your
listeners to know, that this is an extremely difficult job in many different
ways, but the mental toll this job takes on the men and women out there every
day can be overwhelming at times,” Luster tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ
Hotline.

The legislature approved the allocation for PTSD treatment in
response to a handful of self-inflicted deaths among Missouri emergency
personnel. The $51 billion budget has been sent to Gov. Mike Parson for his
consideration.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719235999080.jpeg" alt="Sen. Rusty Black (left) being interviewed by Brent Martin/file photo" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Rusty Black (left) being interviewed by Brent Martin/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA difficult personal experience motivated an area state
senator to push for post-traumatic stress disorder treatment in the Missouri
state budget.Sen. Rusty Black of Chillicothe sponsored a bill appropriating
$4.3 million toward PTSD treatment for Missouri’s military personnel, police,
firefighters, and other emergency personnel.Black came face-to-face with the problems of PTSD when his son
came home from the military threatening to take his own life.“In three days, Rusty Black and Karie Black knew a hell of a
lot more about PTSD and how to do treatment than what we would have ever known
before,” Black tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So, instead of my wife and I
staying quiet about it, we’re trying to bring treatments to the state of
Missouri.”Black says his son received successful treatment, but had to
seek it in Texas.The senator says the money in the Missouri budget would fund
clinics throughout the state, including two in Kansas City as well as a mobile
unit that could provide treatment to rural Missouri.Black says those tasked with difficult and dangerous jobs need
to know they can get support.“Because if I remember right, the police officer that took his
life from St. Joe, I believe he had a Bronze Star. He probably served in the
military the same time my son did,” Black says. “And we need them to know that there’s
help out there and there’s various ways to be able to get treatment and try to
promote it.”St. Joseph Police Officer Kyle Graham took his own life May 30th.
Graham earned two Bronze Stars during his service in Afghanistan and Iraq as
part of Bravo Company 2-22 Infantry, 10th Mountain Division. Graham
also served as a captain in the Army Reserves 209th Regional Support
Group. Graham was 40.The death of Graham by suicide tragically brought home the
pressures on those who have served in the military as well as those active in
the police force.St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster calls Graham’s death a
tragic loss for the department and the community.“I think it’s important for our community to know, for your
listeners to know, that this is an extremely difficult job in many different
ways, but the mental toll this job takes on the men and women out there every
day can be overwhelming at times,” Luster tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ
Hotline.The legislature approved the allocation for PTSD treatment in
response to a handful of self-inflicted deaths among Missouri emergency
personnel. The $51 billion budget has been sent to Gov. Mike Parson for his
consideration.<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/PTSD-Training-in-State-Budget-e2l8bg6" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

A difficult family experience leads senator to seek PTSD treatment in MO budget

LIVINGSTON COUNTY—Four Missouri teens were injured in an accident just before 7:30p.m. Sunday in Livingston County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Chevy Tahoe driven by a 16-year-old Chillicothe boy was eastbound on LIV 256 two miles west of Chillicothe.

The SUV began sliding on gravel. The vehicle traveled off the south side of the road, overturned and the driver was ejected.

The teen driver was air-lifted to Children's Mercy.&nbsp; Chillicothe EMS transported a 13-year-old girl from Chillicothe to Hedrick Medical Center. 

A private vehicle transported two other passengers, a 14-year-old girl and a 15-year-old both of Chillicothe for treatment. The MSHP did not report where they were taken. The driver and passengers were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.

LIVINGSTON COUNTY—Four Missouri teens were injured in an accident just before 7:30p.m. Sunday in Livingston County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Chevy Tahoe driven by a 16-year-old Chillicothe boy was eastbound on LIV 256 two miles west of Chillicothe.The SUV began sliding on gravel. The vehicle traveled off the south side of the road, overturned and the driver was ejected.The teen driver was air-lifted to Children's Mercy.&nbsp; Chillicothe EMS transported a 13-year-old girl from Chillicothe to Hedrick Medical Center. A private vehicle transported two other passengers, a 14-year-old girl and a 15-year-old both of Chillicothe for treatment. The MSHP did not report where they were taken. The driver and passengers were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.

4 Missouri teens injured after SUV rollover accident

ATCHISON COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 4p.m. Sunday in Atchison County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Toyota Camry driven by Partha&nbsp;Chowdhury, 52, Blue Springs, was westbound on Atchison Street in the city of Atchison.

The driver failed to stop at the stop sign on 8th Street and struck a southbound 2020 GMC Sierra driven by Clinton Ellerman, 47, Atchison.&nbsp; After impact, the Toyota left the roadway and struck a power pole.

EMS transported a passenger in the passenger in the pickup Jamie&nbsp;Goodpasture, 44, Atchison, to Amberwell. The drivers were not injured. All three were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

ATCHISON COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 4p.m. Sunday in Atchison County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Toyota Camry driven by Partha&nbsp;Chowdhury, 52, Blue Springs, was westbound on Atchison Street in the city of Atchison.The driver failed to stop at the stop sign on 8th Street and struck a southbound 2020 GMC Sierra driven by Clinton Ellerman, 47, Atchison.&nbsp; After impact, the Toyota left the roadway and struck a power pole.EMS transported a passenger in the passenger in the pickup Jamie&nbsp;Goodpasture, 44, Atchison, to Amberwell. The drivers were not injured. All three were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas woman injured in car, pickup crash

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

Abigail Arellano keeps her son Samuel’s medical bills in a blue folder in a cabinet above the microwave. Even now, four months after the 11-year-old was shot at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade, the bills keep coming.

There’s one for $1,040 for the ambulance ride to the hospital that February afternoon. Another for $2,841.17 from an emergency room visit they made three days after the shooting because his bullet wound looked infected. More follow-ups and counseling in March added another $1,500.

“I think I’m missing some,” Arellano said as she leafed through the pages.

The Arellanos are uninsured and counting on assistance from the fund that raised nearly $2 million in the aftermath of the shooting that left one dead and at least 24 other people with bullet wounds. She keeps that application in the blue folder as well.

The medical costs incurred by the survivors of the shooting are hitting hard, and they won’t end soon. The average medical spending for someone who is shot&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M21-2812">increases by nearly $30,000</a>&nbsp;in the first year, according to a Harvard Medical School study. Another study found that number&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/children-who-survive-shootings-endure-huge-health-obstacles-and-costs/">goes up to $35,000</a>&nbsp;for children. Ten kids were shot at the parade.

Then there are life’s ordinary bills — rent, utilities, car repairs — that don’t stop just because someone survived a mass shooting, even if their injuries prevent them from working or sending kids to school.

The financial burden that comes with surviving is so common it has a name, according to Aswad Thomas of the nonprofit Alliance for Safety and Justice: victimization debt. Some pay it out-of-pocket. Some open a new credit card. Some find help from generous strangers. Others can’t make ends meet.

“We’re really broke right now,” said Jacob Gooch Sr., another survivor, who was shot through the foot and has not yet been able to return to work.

“We’re, like, exhausting our third credit card.”

As is common after mass shootings, a mosaic of new and established resources emerged in this Missouri city promising help. Those include the #KCStrong fund established by the United Way of Greater Kansas City, which is expected to begin paying victims at the end of June.

Survivors must navigate each opportunity to request help as best they can — and hope money comes through.

GoFundMe, generous strangers and a new line of credit

Mostly, it’s the moms who keep the bills organized. Tucked above the microwave. Zipped inside a purse. Screenshots stored on a phone. And then there’s a maze of paperwork: The Missouri state victims’ compensation form is five pages, including instructions. It’s another six pages for help from the United Way.

Emily Tavis keeps stacks of paperwork with color-coded binder clips in her basement: Black for her partner, Gooch Sr.; blue for her stepson, Jacob Gooch Jr.; pink for herself. All three were shot at the parade.

Tavis was able to walk after a bullet ripped through her leg, and she considered declining the ambulance ride because she was worried about the cost — she lacked insurance at the time.

Gooch Sr. was unable to walk because he’d been shot in the foot. So they shared an ambulance to the hospital with two of their kids.

“I’m not paying for this s—. I didn’t ask for this life,” Tavis, laughing, recalled thinking at the time. They soon realized 14-year-old Gooch Jr. had a bullet in his foot as well.

Tavis and Gooch Sr. received separate $1,145 bills for the ambulance. Gooch Jr. did not, possibly because he has health coverage through Medicaid, Tavis said.

She sends the medical bills to victims’ compensation, a program to help with the economic losses from a crime, such as medical expenses and lost wages. Even though Tavis and Gooch live in Leavenworth, Kansas, their compensation comes from the program in Missouri, where the shooting occurred.

The program pays only for economic losses not covered by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dps.mo.gov/dir/programs/cvc/documents/CVC-Fact-Sheet.pdf">other sources</a>&nbsp;like health insurance, donations, and crowdsourced fundraisers. Gooch Sr. and Jr. both had health insurance at the time of the parade, so the family has been sending only the uncovered portion to victims’ compensation.

The family initially received a lot of support. Friends and relatives made sure they had food to eat. The founder of an online group of Kansas City Chiefs fans sent $1,000 and gifts for the family. A&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/helping-one-family-at-a-time-kc-parade-tragedy">GoFundMe</a>&nbsp;page raised $9,500. And their tax refund helped.

They knew money might get tight with Gooch Sr. unable to work, so they paid three months’ rent in advance. They also paid to have his Ford Escape fixed so he could eventually return to work and bought Tavis a used Honda Accord so she could drive to the job she started 12 days after the parade.

And because the donations were intended for the whole family, they decided to buy summer passes to the Worlds of Fun amusement park for the kids.

But recently, they’ve felt stretched. Gooch Sr.’s short-term disability payments abruptly stopped in May when his health insurance prompted him to see an in-network doctor. He said the short-term disability plan initially didn’t approve the paperwork from his new doctor and started an investigation. The issue was resolved in June and he was expecting back pay soon. In the interim, though, the couple opened a new credit card to cover their bills.

In the interim, the couple opened a new credit card to cover their bills.

“We’ve definitely been robbing Peter to pay Paul,” Tavis said.

Ideally, the money that eventually comes from the United Way, victims’ compensation, and, they hope, back pay from short-term disability will be enough to pay off their debts.

But, Tavis said, “You gotta do what you gotta do. We’re not going to go without lights.”

United Way payout expected at end of June

With every mass shooting, donations for survivors inevitably flow in, “just like peanut butter goes with jelly, because people want to help,” said Jeff Dion, executive director of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://massviolencesurvivorsfund.org/">Mass Violence Survivors Fund</a>, a nonprofit that has helped many communities manage such funds.

Typically, he said, it takes about five months to disburse the money from these large community funds. Victims can potentially get money sooner if their community has a plan in place for these types of funds before a mass shooting. Funds may also advance money to people with urgent financial needs who are certain to qualify.

The United Way hung banners in the Chiefs colors on Kansas City’s Union Station with its #KCStrong campaign within days of the shootings. Driven by large donations from the team, the NFL, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, other individuals, and local companies, it ultimately raised more than $1.8 million.

The promise of a large payout has kept the injured hopeful, even as many felt confused by the process. Some people interviewed for this story did not wish to say anything negative, fearing it would hurt their allocation.

United Way officials announced in April that donations would be closed at the end of that month. On May 1, the organization&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://unitedwaygkc.org/2024/05/01/kcstrong-update-fund-delivery-process-in-motion/">posted a notice</a>&nbsp;saying it would issue “claimant forms” and that the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office was helping verify shooting victims. The United Way affiliate’s board of trustees plans to meet June 26 to determine allocations, with payments arriving as early as June 27.

Kera Mashek, a spokesperson for United Way of Greater Kansas City, said payouts will be made to 20 of the 24 shooting survivors. The other four either couldn’t be verified as victims or turned down the funds, she said. Claimants do not include the 67 people prosecutors say were trampled in the melee, she said.

Pending board approval, money will also be disbursed to 14 community groups that support nonviolence initiatives, mental health concerns, and first responders, Mashek said.

To criticism that the United Way didn’t communicate well with the victims, Mashek said it tried to respond in a timely manner.

“We’ve tried to keep that line of communication open as fast as possible and most people have been very patient,” she said. “I think that they will be very grateful and very, I believe, pleasantly surprised with the amount of funding that they receive.”

Abigail Arellano hadn’t heard of victims’ compensation, which is common. A&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://allianceforsafetyandjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Alliance-for-Safety-and-Justice-Crime-Survivors-Speak-September-2022.pdf">2022 survey</a>&nbsp;from the Alliance for Safety and Justice found that 96% of victims did not receive that support and many didn’t know it existed.

Arellano and her husband, Antonio, didn’t attend the parade but they’ve had medical expenses as well. Antonio has been going to therapy at a local health center to help with the stressful task of guiding his son through the trauma. It’s been helpful. But he’s been paying around $125 out-of-pocket for each session, he said, and the bills are mounting.

One of Samuel’s sisters set up a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/bhwqge-samuels-medical-expenses?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet-first-launch&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_source=customer&amp;modal=share">GoFundMe</a>&nbsp;that raised $12,500, and Abigail said it helped that the family shared their story publicly and that Abigail reached out to help others in the Latino community affected by the shooting.

It was Abigail, for instance, who connected&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/the-injured-super-bowl-parade-kansas-city-bullets-still-bodies/">71-year-old Sarai Holguin</a>&nbsp;with the Mexican Consulate in Kansas City. The consulate, in turn, helped Holguin register as an official victim of the shooting, which will enable her to receive assistance from the United Way. Holguin’s bills now include a fourth surgery, to remove the bullet lodged near her knee that she had previously made peace with living with forever — until it began protruding through her skin.

‘Generous and quick’ relief to victims

Several survivors were relieved and grateful to receive funds from a less high-profile, nondenominational group called “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.thechurchloveskansascity.org/">The Church Loves Kansas City.</a>”

The day after the shooting, Gary Kendall, who ran a Christian nonprofit called “Love KC,” started a text chain at 6 a.m. with city leaders and faith-based groups, and eventually received pledges of $184,500. (Love KC has now merged with another nonprofit, “Unite KC,” which is disbursing its funds.)

The first payout went to the family of Lisa Lopez-Galvan, the 43-year-old mother of two and popular DJ who was the sole fatality during the parade shootings. Unite KC spent $15,000 on her burial expenses.

Unite KC spent $2,800 so James and Brandie Lemons could get their health insurance restored because James couldn’t work. Unite KC also paid $2,200 for the out-of-pocket surgical costs when James decided to get the bullet removed from his leg.

“I appreciate it,” an emotional James Lemons said. “They don’t have to do that, to open their hearts for no reason.”

Erika Nelson was struggling to pay for household expenses and had to take time off from her home health care job to take her injured daughter, 15-year-old Mireya, to doctor appointments. Mireya was shot&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2024-05-08/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shot-bullets-in-bodies-kansas-city-surgery-doctor">in the chin and shoulder</a>&nbsp;and is recovering.

A&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/child-super-bowl-parade-shooting-victim">GoFundMe</a>&nbsp;page set up by Nelson’s best friend raised about $11,000, but it was frozen after Nelson tried to get into the account and GoFundMe thought it was being hacked. She feared the lights would be shut off in their apartment, because of unpaid electric bills, and was feeling desperate.

“I’m struggling with, like, you know, groceries,” Nelson said. “People were like, ‘Oh, go to food pantries.’ Well, the food pantries are not open the times I can get off. I can’t just take off work to go to a food pantry.”

After meeting with Gary Kendall, Nelson received three months of rent and utility payments, about $3,500.

“A weight off my shoulder. I mean, yeah. In a big way,” she whispered. “’Cause you never know. You never know what can happen in two days, five days, two weeks, two months.”

Samuel Arellano’s family recently connected with Unite KC, which will pay for his ambulance bill, one of the hospital bills, and some therapy, worth about $6,000. The bill for the initial emergency room trip was about $20,000, his parents said, but the hospital had been reluctant to send it and ultimately covered the cost.

And Unite KC also intends to pay off a $1,300 credit card bill for Emily Tavis and Jacob Gooch Sr.

Unite KC has disbursed $40,000 so far and hopes to connect with more of the injured families, hoping to be as “generous and quick as we can,” Kendall said. United Way will be like a “lightning bolt” for victims’ relief, Kendall said, but his group is aiming for something different, more like a campfire that burns for the next year.

“We agree this is a horrific thing that happened. It’s a sad state of humanity but it’s a real part,” he said. “So we want to remind them that God has not forgotten you. And that although he allowed this, he has not abandoned them. We believe we can be like an extension of his love to these people.”

<a target="_blank" href="https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us">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 target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/about-us">KFF</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719141597423.png" alt="Unable to work after being shot at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade in February, Jacob Gooch Sr. initially received short-term disability payments. But that assistance abruptly stopped in May when he started seeing a new doctor who was in network with his health insurance. The issue was resolved in June and he was expecting back pay soon (Christopher Smith/KFF News)." />
 <figcaption>Unable to work after being shot at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade in February, Jacob Gooch Sr. initially received short-term disability payments. But that assistance abruptly stopped in May when he started seeing a new doctor who was in network with his health insurance. The issue was resolved in June and he was expecting back pay soon (Christopher Smith/KFF News).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/peggylowe/">PEGGY LOWE</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/bramsablesmith/">BRAM SABLE-SMITH</a>Abigail Arellano keeps her son Samuel’s medical bills in a blue folder in a cabinet above the microwave. Even now, four months after the 11-year-old was shot at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade, the bills keep coming.There’s one for $1,040 for the ambulance ride to the hospital that February afternoon. Another for $2,841.17 from an emergency room visit they made three days after the shooting because his bullet wound looked infected. More follow-ups and counseling in March added another $1,500.“I think I’m missing some,” Arellano said as she leafed through the pages.The Arellanos are uninsured and counting on assistance from the fund that raised nearly $2 million in the aftermath of the shooting that left one dead and at least 24 other people with bullet wounds. She keeps that application in the blue folder as well.The medical costs incurred by the survivors of the shooting are hitting hard, and they won’t end soon. The average medical spending for someone who is shot&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M21-2812">increases by nearly $30,000</a>&nbsp;in the first year, according to a Harvard Medical School study. Another study found that number&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/children-who-survive-shootings-endure-huge-health-obstacles-and-costs/">goes up to $35,000</a>&nbsp;for children. Ten kids were shot at the parade.Then there are life’s ordinary bills — rent, utilities, car repairs — that don’t stop just because someone survived a mass shooting, even if their injuries prevent them from working or sending kids to school.The financial burden that comes with surviving is so common it has a name, according to Aswad Thomas of the nonprofit Alliance for Safety and Justice: victimization debt. Some pay it out-of-pocket. Some open a new credit card. Some find help from generous strangers. Others can’t make ends meet.“We’re really broke right now,” said Jacob Gooch Sr., another survivor, who was shot through the foot and has not yet been able to return to work.“We’re, like, exhausting our third credit card.”As is common after mass shootings, a mosaic of new and established resources emerged in this Missouri city promising help. Those include the #KCStrong fund established by the United Way of Greater Kansas City, which is expected to begin paying victims at the end of June.Survivors must navigate each opportunity to request help as best they can — and hope money comes through.<h2>GoFundMe, generous strangers and a new line of credit</h2>Mostly, it’s the moms who keep the bills organized. Tucked above the microwave. Zipped inside a purse. Screenshots stored on a phone. And then there’s a maze of paperwork: The Missouri state victims’ compensation form is five pages, including instructions. It’s another six pages for help from the United Way.Emily Tavis keeps stacks of paperwork with color-coded binder clips in her basement: Black for her partner, Gooch Sr.; blue for her stepson, Jacob Gooch Jr.; pink for herself. All three were shot at the parade.Tavis was able to walk after a bullet ripped through her leg, and she considered declining the ambulance ride because she was worried about the cost — she lacked insurance at the time.Gooch Sr. was unable to walk because he’d been shot in the foot. So they shared an ambulance to the hospital with two of their kids.“I’m not paying for this s—. I didn’t ask for this life,” Tavis, laughing, recalled thinking at the time. They soon realized 14-year-old Gooch Jr. had a bullet in his foot as well.Tavis and Gooch Sr. received separate $1,145 bills for the ambulance. Gooch Jr. did not, possibly because he has health coverage through Medicaid, Tavis said.She sends the medical bills to victims’ compensation, a program to help with the economic losses from a crime, such as medical expenses and lost wages. Even though Tavis and Gooch live in Leavenworth, Kansas, their compensation comes from the program in Missouri, where the shooting occurred.The program pays only for economic losses not covered by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://dps.mo.gov/dir/programs/cvc/documents/CVC-Fact-Sheet.pdf">other sources</a>&nbsp;like health insurance, donations, and crowdsourced fundraisers. Gooch Sr. and Jr. both had health insurance at the time of the parade, so the family has been sending only the uncovered portion to victims’ compensation.The family initially received a lot of support. Friends and relatives made sure they had food to eat. The founder of an online group of Kansas City Chiefs fans sent $1,000 and gifts for the family. A&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/helping-one-family-at-a-time-kc-parade-tragedy">GoFundMe</a>&nbsp;page raised $9,500. And their tax refund helped.They knew money might get tight with Gooch Sr. unable to work, so they paid three months’ rent in advance. They also paid to have his Ford Escape fixed so he could eventually return to work and bought Tavis a used Honda Accord so she could drive to the job she started 12 days after the parade.And because the donations were intended for the whole family, they decided to buy summer passes to the Worlds of Fun amusement park for the kids.But recently, they’ve felt stretched. Gooch Sr.’s short-term disability payments abruptly stopped in May when his health insurance prompted him to see an in-network doctor. He said the short-term disability plan initially didn’t approve the paperwork from his new doctor and started an investigation. The issue was resolved in June and he was expecting back pay soon. In the interim, though, the couple opened a new credit card to cover their bills.In the interim, the couple opened a new credit card to cover their bills.“We’ve definitely been robbing Peter to pay Paul,” Tavis said.Ideally, the money that eventually comes from the United Way, victims’ compensation, and, they hope, back pay from short-term disability will be enough to pay off their debts.But, Tavis said, “You gotta do what you gotta do. We’re not going to go without lights.”<h2>United Way payout expected at end of June</h2>With every mass shooting, donations for survivors inevitably flow in, “just like peanut butter goes with jelly, because people want to help,” said Jeff Dion, executive director of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://massviolencesurvivorsfund.org/">Mass Violence Survivors Fund</a>, a nonprofit that has helped many communities manage such funds.Typically, he said, it takes about five months to disburse the money from these large community funds. Victims can potentially get money sooner if their community has a plan in place for these types of funds before a mass shooting. Funds may also advance money to people with urgent financial needs who are certain to qualify.The United Way hung banners in the Chiefs colors on Kansas City’s Union Station with its #KCStrong campaign within days of the shootings. Driven by large donations from the team, the NFL, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, other individuals, and local companies, it ultimately raised more than $1.8 million.The promise of a large payout has kept the injured hopeful, even as many felt confused by the process. Some people interviewed for this story did not wish to say anything negative, fearing it would hurt their allocation.United Way officials announced in April that donations would be closed at the end of that month. On May 1, the organization&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://unitedwaygkc.org/2024/05/01/kcstrong-update-fund-delivery-process-in-motion/">posted a notice</a>&nbsp;saying it would issue “claimant forms” and that the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office was helping verify shooting victims. The United Way affiliate’s board of trustees plans to meet June 26 to determine allocations, with payments arriving as early as June 27.Kera Mashek, a spokesperson for United Way of Greater Kansas City, said payouts will be made to 20 of the 24 shooting survivors. The other four either couldn’t be verified as victims or turned down the funds, she said. Claimants do not include the 67 people prosecutors say were trampled in the melee, she said.Pending board approval, money will also be disbursed to 14 community groups that support nonviolence initiatives, mental health concerns, and first responders, Mashek said.To criticism that the United Way didn’t communicate well with the victims, Mashek said it tried to respond in a timely manner.“We’ve tried to keep that line of communication open as fast as possible and most people have been very patient,” she said. “I think that they will be very grateful and very, I believe, pleasantly surprised with the amount of funding that they receive.”<h2>Other resources available</h2>Abigail Arellano hadn’t heard of victims’ compensation, which is common. A&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://allianceforsafetyandjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Alliance-for-Safety-and-Justice-Crime-Survivors-Speak-September-2022.pdf">2022 survey</a>&nbsp;from the Alliance for Safety and Justice found that 96% of victims did not receive that support and many didn’t know it existed.Arellano and her husband, Antonio, didn’t attend the parade but they’ve had medical expenses as well. Antonio has been going to therapy at a local health center to help with the stressful task of guiding his son through the trauma. It’s been helpful. But he’s been paying around $125 out-of-pocket for each session, he said, and the bills are mounting.One of Samuel’s sisters set up a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/bhwqge-samuels-medical-expenses?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet-first-launch&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_source=customer&amp;modal=share">GoFundMe</a>&nbsp;that raised $12,500, and Abigail said it helped that the family shared their story publicly and that Abigail reached out to help others in the Latino community affected by the shooting.It was Abigail, for instance, who connected&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/the-injured-super-bowl-parade-kansas-city-bullets-still-bodies/">71-year-old Sarai Holguin</a>&nbsp;with the Mexican Consulate in Kansas City. The consulate, in turn, helped Holguin register as an official victim of the shooting, which will enable her to receive assistance from the United Way. Holguin’s bills now include a fourth surgery, to remove the bullet lodged near her knee that she had previously made peace with living with forever — until it began protruding through her skin.<h2>‘Generous and quick’ relief to victims</h2>Several survivors were relieved and grateful to receive funds from a less high-profile, nondenominational group called “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.thechurchloveskansascity.org/">The Church Loves Kansas City.</a>”The day after the shooting, Gary Kendall, who ran a Christian nonprofit called “Love KC,” started a text chain at 6 a.m. with city leaders and faith-based groups, and eventually received pledges of $184,500. (Love KC has now merged with another nonprofit, “Unite KC,” which is disbursing its funds.)The first payout went to the family of Lisa Lopez-Galvan, the 43-year-old mother of two and popular DJ who was the sole fatality during the parade shootings. Unite KC spent $15,000 on her burial expenses.Unite KC spent $2,800 so James and Brandie Lemons could get their health insurance restored because James couldn’t work. Unite KC also paid $2,200 for the out-of-pocket surgical costs when James decided to get the bullet removed from his leg.“I appreciate it,” an emotional James Lemons said. “They don’t have to do that, to open their hearts for no reason.”Erika Nelson was struggling to pay for household expenses and had to take time off from her home health care job to take her injured daughter, 15-year-old Mireya, to doctor appointments. Mireya was shot&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2024-05-08/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shot-bullets-in-bodies-kansas-city-surgery-doctor">in the chin and shoulder</a>&nbsp;and is recovering.A&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/child-super-bowl-parade-shooting-victim">GoFundMe</a>&nbsp;page set up by Nelson’s best friend raised about $11,000, but it was frozen after Nelson tried to get into the account and GoFundMe thought it was being hacked. She feared the lights would be shut off in their apartment, because of unpaid electric bills, and was feeling desperate.“I’m struggling with, like, you know, groceries,” Nelson said. “People were like, ‘Oh, go to food pantries.’ Well, the food pantries are not open the times I can get off. I can’t just take off work to go to a food pantry.”After meeting with Gary Kendall, Nelson received three months of rent and utility payments, about $3,500.“A weight off my shoulder. I mean, yeah. In a big way,” she whispered. “’Cause you never know. You never know what can happen in two days, five days, two weeks, two months.”Samuel Arellano’s family recently connected with Unite KC, which will pay for his ambulance bill, one of the hospital bills, and some therapy, worth about $6,000. The bill for the initial emergency room trip was about $20,000, his parents said, but the hospital had been reluctant to send it and ultimately covered the cost.And Unite KC also intends to pay off a $1,300 credit card bill for Emily Tavis and Jacob Gooch Sr.Unite KC has disbursed $40,000 so far and hopes to connect with more of the injured families, hoping to be as “generous and quick as we can,” Kendall said. United Way will be like a “lightning bolt” for victims’ relief, Kendall said, but his group is aiming for something different, more like a campfire that burns for the next year.“We agree this is a horrific thing that happened. It’s a sad state of humanity but it’s a real part,” he said. “So we want to remind them that God has not forgotten you. And that although he allowed this, he has not abandoned them. We believe we can be like an extension of his love to these people.”<a target="_blank" href="https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us">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 target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/about-us">KFF</a>.

Kansas City Super Bowl parade shooting survivors await promised donations while bills pile up

CALDWELL COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 9:30p.m. Friday in Caldwell County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Freightliner semi driven by Gefthy Rither, 46, Orlando, Florida, was westbound on U.S. 36 at Panther Road two miles west of Breckenridge.

The driver lost control of the vehicle. It traveled off the south side of the road, struck a traffic sign, traveled across the intersection, overturned, returned to the road, began sliding across westbound lanes of U.S. 36 and traveled off the north side of the road.

Caldwell County EMS transported Rither to Cameron Regional Medical Center. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

CALDWELL COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 9:30p.m. Friday in Caldwell County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Freightliner semi driven by Gefthy Rither, 46, Orlando, Florida, was westbound on U.S. 36 at Panther Road two miles west of Breckenridge.The driver lost control of the vehicle. It traveled off the south side of the road, struck a traffic sign, traveled across the intersection, overturned, returned to the road, began sliding across westbound lanes of U.S. 36 and traveled off the north side of the road.Caldwell County EMS transported Rither to Cameron Regional Medical Center. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Driver hospitalized after violent semi crash

St. Joseph Police are investigating the death of a 29 year old woman who died in custody while being transported to the hospital.

The St. Joseph Police Department says 29 year old Kirstan Canterbury died while being transported to the hospital.  While in transport Canterbury's condition continued to decline, before being pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital. 

The body has been sent in for an autopsy.  The investigation continues.

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph Police are investigating the death of a 29 year old woman who died in custody while being transported to the hospital.The St. Joseph Police Department says 29 year old Kirstan Canterbury died while being transported to the hospital. While in transport Canterbury's condition continued to decline, before being pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital. The body has been sent in for an autopsy. The investigation continues.

St. Joseph Police investigating death of 29 year old woman

Missouri’s Lt. Governor gave his pitch for a promotion during
a stop in Savannah Friday afternoon.

Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe is in the crowded field for the
Republican nomination for governor, taking a veiled shot at some of his fellow Republican
opponents, saying they come to Jefferson City not ready to work with others.

“And they’d rather stand on this table and scream at you on
how conservative they are and what they’re values are than actually work with
you on something,” Kehoe tells a crowd gathered at United Electric Cooperative.
“And I tell people all the time, I’m conservative to my core. That’s the way my
mother raised me, a conservative Christian to my core, but I don’t feel like I
have to stand on a table and scream. I’d rather talk to you. I’d rather develop
a relationship with you.”

Kehoe ran a Ford dealership in Jefferson City before running
for the Missouri Senate. Gov. Mike Parson appointed Kehoe Lt. Governor in 2018 after
Parson became governor upon the resignation of Eric Greitens. Kehoe won
election to the office in 2020. Kehoe also raises cattle on a farm in Phelps
and Pulaski Counties.

There are nine candidates listed on the Republican primary
ballot for governor. High-profile Republicans in the race include Secretary of
State Jay Ashcroft and state Sen. Bill Eigel of St. Charles County.

Kehoe lists four primary goals he would have as governor:&nbsp; crack down on crime, increase workforce
development beyond high school, agriculture, and economic development.

As part of his economic platform, Kehoe  proposes eliminating the state income tax.

“And it fits a core fundamental piece of who a conservative is.
I believe you can spend your money way better than any elected official can any
day of the year. So, this puts money back in your pocket and it gets us a
really good leg up on economic development conversation,” Kehoe says. “We
intend to work with the legislature to get that passed in a responsible manner
so we can continue to fill our other commitments that we have across the state.”

The Savannah stop was part of Kehoe’s statewide campaign tour.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719001352836.jpeg" alt="Missouri Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe speaks to a crowd at United Electric Cooperative in Savannah during his gubernatorial campaign./Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Missouri Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe speaks to a crowd at United Electric Cooperative in Savannah during his gubernatorial campaign./Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMissouri’s Lt. Governor gave his pitch for a promotion during
a stop in Savannah Friday afternoon.Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe is in the crowded field for the
Republican nomination for governor, taking a veiled shot at some of his fellow Republican
opponents, saying they come to Jefferson City not ready to work with others.“And they’d rather stand on this table and scream at you on
how conservative they are and what they’re values are than actually work with
you on something,” Kehoe tells a crowd gathered at United Electric Cooperative.
“And I tell people all the time, I’m conservative to my core. That’s the way my
mother raised me, a conservative Christian to my core, but I don’t feel like I
have to stand on a table and scream. I’d rather talk to you. I’d rather develop
a relationship with you.”Kehoe ran a Ford dealership in Jefferson City before running
for the Missouri Senate. Gov. Mike Parson appointed Kehoe Lt. Governor in 2018 after
Parson became governor upon the resignation of Eric Greitens. Kehoe won
election to the office in 2020. Kehoe also raises cattle on a farm in Phelps
and Pulaski Counties.There are nine candidates listed on the Republican primary
ballot for governor. High-profile Republicans in the race include Secretary of
State Jay Ashcroft and state Sen. Bill Eigel of St. Charles County.Kehoe lists four primary goals he would have as governor:&nbsp; crack down on crime, increase workforce
development beyond high school, agriculture, and economic development.As part of his economic platform, Kehoe proposes eliminating the state income tax.“And it fits a core fundamental piece of who a conservative is.
I believe you can spend your money way better than any elected official can any
day of the year. So, this puts money back in your pocket and it gets us a
really good leg up on economic development conversation,” Kehoe says. “We
intend to work with the legislature to get that passed in a responsible manner
so we can continue to fill our other commitments that we have across the state.”The Savannah stop was part of Kehoe’s statewide campaign tour.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Lt. Gov. Kehoe stumps for governor during Savannah stop

Officials with the American Red Cross advise taking precautions as the temperatures begin to rise.  

Regional Red Cross Executive Director JoAnn Woody says heat exhaustion is dangerous but even worse is heat stroke 

"It can be a deadly condition and it requires immediate medical attention as soon as possible," Woody tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "Some of the symptoms for that include a higher body temperature, that hot, red dry skin, a fast or strong pulse, just sounds like it's pounding, dizziness, nausea." 

Three tips the Red Cross advises are to slow down, stay hydrated, and spend time indoors to help stay safe in the extreme heat.  

Woody says to keep yourself safe in the heat, be sure to take frequent breaks if you have to be outside and exposed to the temperatures. 

Woody says the key to knowing how long to take a break is understanding your body and its heat tolerance. 

"Some people recover from a little bit of overheating very quickly," Woody explains. "I would say we want to make sure we're being attentive to what our body is telling us, if you start sweating profusely, that's a good indicator you need to take a break and you need to let your body cool down because your body is trying super hard with all that sweating to cool itself off." 

Woody advises people to do any work outside early in the day before it reaches peak temperatures.  

Woody says to avoid sugary drinks and alcohol while in the heat and to be sure to drink water to stay hydrated 

"Nothing beats water for instant hydration and getting some things into your body," Woody says. "A lot of those other drinks they have other additives to them, so depending on where you're at in that heat exposure cycle, they may or may not benefit you." 

Woody also says to be sure to just sip the water as you recover from any overheating and to make sure it is not ice cold to not cause harm to your body. 

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Officials with the American Red Cross advise taking precautions as the temperatures begin to rise. Regional Red Cross Executive Director JoAnn Woody says heat exhaustion is dangerous but even worse is heat stroke "It can be a deadly condition and it requires immediate medical attention as soon as possible," Woody tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "Some of the symptoms for that include a higher body temperature, that hot, red dry skin, a fast or strong pulse, just sounds like it's pounding, dizziness, nausea." Three tips the Red Cross advises are to slow down, stay hydrated, and spend time indoors to help stay safe in the extreme heat. Woody says to keep yourself safe in the heat, be sure to take frequent breaks if you have to be outside and exposed to the temperatures. Woody says the key to knowing how long to take a break is understanding your body and its heat tolerance. "Some people recover from a little bit of overheating very quickly," Woody explains. "I would say we want to make sure we're being attentive to what our body is telling us, if you start sweating profusely, that's a good indicator you need to take a break and you need to let your body cool down because your body is trying super hard with all that sweating to cool itself off." Woody advises people to do any work outside early in the day before it reaches peak temperatures. Woody says to avoid sugary drinks and alcohol while in the heat and to be sure to drink water to stay hydrated "Nothing beats water for instant hydration and getting some things into your body," Woody says. "A lot of those other drinks they have other additives to them, so depending on where you're at in that heat exposure cycle, they may or may not benefit you." Woody also says to be sure to just sip the water as you recover from any overheating and to make sure it is not ice cold to not cause harm to your body.

Temperatures are rising, take precautions

St. Joseph School Board member Whitney Lanning has no plans to
step down, rejecting calls for her resignation in light of a highly publicized
confrontation with fellow school board member Isaura Garcia.

Lanning says she plans to serve the remainder of her term,
which expires in April of 2026. Lanning pleaded guilty to a charge of
second-degree harassment stemming from the February 26th incident
with Garcia, but insists she remains an effective member of the St. Joseph
Board of Education.

“Yeah, I think I have,” Lanning says in an in-studio interview
with KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “I guess my issue is, I’ve always been focused on
doing good things for this district.”

After the confrontation, state Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer of
Parkville and Sen. Rusty Black of Chillicothe, both Republicans, called for
Lanning, a Democrat, to resign from the school board, <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/0c5f3d0c-ccae-47c1-a942-302c09c5839d">Luetkemeyer claiming
Lanning displays a lack of professionalism</a> not appropriate for someone in
office. Lanning accuses the two senators of attempting to silence her and
suggests they should worry more about Republican dysfunction in the Missouri
Senate displayed in the past legislative session.

“Our Senate was laughable how much dysfunction they had that
they couldn’t get anything done,” Lanning says.

The confrontation between Lanning and Garcia took place after
the St. Joseph Board of Education considered and narrowly rejected a proposal
to adopt a four-day school week during a tense school board meeting. The
proposal was touted as an incentive for teachers. Lanning backed the move.
Garcia opposed it.

Though controversy has engulfed Lanning since, she insists she still has a role to play on the St. Joseph School Board and is excited about
the future of the district.

“I’m excited about the things that we’re doing,” Lanning says.
“I’m excited about the steps we’re taking to provide child care for our staff.
I’m excited about the ways that we’re going to right-size the district in a way
that promotes and leverages the resources that we do have.”

Lanning declines to address any questions about the
confrontation with Garcia, pointing out that though the criminal case has been
resolved, a civil lawsuit filed by Garcia against Lanning remains unresolved.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718979800254.jpeg" alt="Whitney Lanning/Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Whitney Lanning/Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph School Board member Whitney Lanning has no plans to
step down, rejecting calls for her resignation in light of a highly publicized
confrontation with fellow school board member Isaura Garcia.Lanning says she plans to serve the remainder of her term,
which expires in April of 2026. Lanning pleaded guilty to a charge of
second-degree harassment stemming from the February 26th incident
with Garcia, but insists she remains an effective member of the St. Joseph
Board of Education.“Yeah, I think I have,” Lanning says in an in-studio interview
with KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “I guess my issue is, I’ve always been focused on
doing good things for this district.”After the confrontation, state Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer of
Parkville and Sen. Rusty Black of Chillicothe, both Republicans, called for
Lanning, a Democrat, to resign from the school board, <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/0c5f3d0c-ccae-47c1-a942-302c09c5839d">Luetkemeyer claiming
Lanning displays a lack of professionalism</a> not appropriate for someone in
office. Lanning accuses the two senators of attempting to silence her and
suggests they should worry more about Republican dysfunction in the Missouri
Senate displayed in the past legislative session.“Our Senate was laughable how much dysfunction they had that
they couldn’t get anything done,” Lanning says.The confrontation between Lanning and Garcia took place after
the St. Joseph Board of Education considered and narrowly rejected a proposal
to adopt a four-day school week during a tense school board meeting. The
proposal was touted as an incentive for teachers. Lanning backed the move.
Garcia opposed it.Though controversy has engulfed Lanning since, she insists she still has a role to play on the St. Joseph School Board and is excited about
the future of the district.“I’m excited about the things that we’re doing,” Lanning says.
“I’m excited about the steps we’re taking to provide child care for our staff.
I’m excited about the ways that we’re going to right-size the district in a way
that promotes and leverages the resources that we do have.”Lanning declines to address any questions about the
confrontation with Garcia, pointing out that though the criminal case has been
resolved, a civil lawsuit filed by Garcia against Lanning remains unresolved.<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Whitney-Lanning-will-not-resign-e2l58cs" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Lanning has no plans to resign from St. Joseph School Board

Margie Vandeven, who leaves the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at the end of the month, discusses enduring problems and bright futures within Missouri’s K-12 education system

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

Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven will leave her position with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at the end of the month, ending her 19 years of work in the department.

She&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-commissioner-of-education-announces-resignation/">announced her departure in October</a>, saying it was the “right time to move on personally and professionally.”

An educator since 1990, Vandeven was appointed commissioner in 2015. She was ousted briefly between December 2017 and November 2018 when then-Gov. Eric Greitens stacked the board to force her out. After Greitens was forced to resign a few months later in order to avoid impeachment, the board&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/missouri/article221947225.html">voted to reinstate Vandeven</a>

“Margie went through something that I never thought I’d see in my political life — with the Greitens administration,” State Board of Education president Charlie Shields, of St. Joseph, said during the state board’s June 11 meeting. “The idea that you had a governor that tried to influence the State Board of Education, tried to influence the selection of a commissioner, that wanted change for no other reason than political expediency.”

He said Vandeven “never, ever cracked during that,” applauding her for “grace under pressure.”

Next, Vandeven will work as an education chief with the Missouri Department of Conservation and help with education research at Hoover Institution, a public policy think tank at Stanford University.

She has been working alongside incoming commissioner Karla Eslinger, who will be serving solo beginning July 1. Eslinger, who recently resigned from the state senate, has served as a teacher, assistant commissioner and an advisor to federal education officials.

In her last days in her office, Vandeven spoke to The Independent about the issues that will persist long after her tenure.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: A big problem for a lot of districts, both in Missouri and nationwide, is attendance. What’s Missouri doing to work on this?

A: The thing with attendance is that the issues are very different depending upon where you are. Local context matters on attendance. It is a national issue right now, and we certainly saw an increase post-pandemic.

We are really focusing on getting a highly trained teacher in every classroom, which helps attendance rates because we know that that relationship between the student and the teacher is key. If they have a different substitute teacher in front of them every single day… it can be intimidating.

We are looking at learning just a little bit differently and talking about more competency based learning, project based learning, keeping our students very engaged and putting our career counselors in place to say, “You need to know this and understand this because it will help you go on this particular pathway that you’re choosing.”

We are meeting with parents and helping them understand that school is a little bit different today than it might have been when they were in school. People depend on you being there. We do a lot of group projects. We do a lot of collaborative teaming… It is making sure parents are aware of the disruption that occurs when students are out and helping educate on what is considered an illness that is severe enough that students should stay home and when is it appropriate to send them back to school.&nbsp;

There are a lot of different efforts that are taking place. I had a meeting today with the Department of Mental Health to really talk about how we better address some of these mental health issues that our students are feeling.

Q: I always hear that Missouri students can’t read at grade level. Can you tell me about this problem?

A: I think what they’re referring to are the National Assessment for Educational Progress scores, and those have been relatively stagnant across the nation for the past decades. So that’s what they’re referring to when they talk about reading scores.

The main shift that we’re seeing is that the science of reading has been just so studied and better understood now. We know better how to teach reading.

We’ve been working with our educator-preparation programs. We’ve been working with our teachers who are in the classroom today, and we’ve been looking at high-quality instructional materials. We have been looking at measuring students earlier.

If we say we need students to be proficient in reading by grade three, because if you look again at the data, it will tell you that students who are proficient in reading by grade three then read to learn. So, waiting until grade three to get a statewide temperature check on that doesn’t make as much sense.

We have kindergarten through third-grade reading assessments, but we’re really focusing on getting that statewide metric for grade two so that they’re assessed early and then interventions are provided early.

Early intervention is key. So working with that, I think we’re gonna see the big, big shifts in the future.

Q: Has the state done an inventory of which districts have science-based reading curriculum?

A: We have not done a complete inventory as a state but that is because curriculum is a local decision. However, our school districts are all, to my knowledge, really working on the science of reading.

It would be hard to do the state assessments and plans in today’s environment with a curriculum that does not support the science of reading.

Q: As Gov. Mike Parson leaves office, what should people know about working with him, especially with the budget process?

A: I feel very fortunate to have worked with Gov. Parson. He has made it clear from the start that his emphasis was on workforce development and infrastructure, and education falls right into that.

He believes that investing in our children is investing in the future of the state of Missouri. And so working with the budget process, the State Board of Education approves (the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) budget. Then, we take it to the governor’s budget, we see what they’re going to put in, and then it goes through the legislative process. It’s a pretty lengthy process. But I do think you can really get a sense of where people’s priorities are when you look at where they’re putting their funding. We’ve seen significant increases in funding for education, and for our students, which genuinely is an investment in the state’s future.

Q: What are your hopes for the next governor?

A: I hope that we can stay united and committed to educating our kids. We can get a lot more done when we’re focusing on the same things together.

I always say this, “Great teachers matter.” And you need great teachers in public schools; you need them in private schools; you need them in charter schools, and you need them in virtual schools. Great teachers matter.&nbsp;

Early learning matters, no matter your ZIP code. Making sure families have access to that opportunity matters. So, I really hope that the next governor can find some of those areas that are genuinely common ground and focus more on bringing people together and moving towards those goals.

Q: Have you seen a trend of politicization of K-12 education?

A: I’ve absolutely seen an increase in the politicization of education throughout my tenure, and it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when that occurred. But we certainly have seen it. And that’s not just in Missouri, that is across the nation.

People do realize how important education is for our students and how important it is for this country, so that has garnered quite a bit of attention from both sides of the aisle. I still believe that we can get much more accomplished when we focus on the big issues.

We need politicians, and we need them to be involved in education. But we don’t want it to be a politicized football, where you’re just battling back and forth. We need to be focusing on what it is that we want to accomplish as a state and move those initiatives forward.

Q: Do you have any tips for focusing on the big issues?

A: Both sides of the aisle should be at the table together. I always say that’s one of the greatest things about our State Board of Education. It was written in the constitution that there can’t be more than four (of eight) of any party. Then they develop these personal relationships with one another.

If you’ve only talked to like minded people, you’re missing out on a lot of opportunities to fully understand solutions to issues. When you do that, you find out there are more commonalities than differences. I just truly believe that.

Q: Missouri is the only state that I know of with the schools for the disabled model. Do you think this will continue to be the state’s model for high intervention?

A: We’re doing a study right now. We are the only state that does it this way. We’re studying to make sure that it is the best way to serve the students and their families, and that’ll be coming out shortly.

It really requires change over time. This has been in place for over 50 years. So I think it is time to really look at the model. And if it’s working in some places, that’s great. If it can be improved in others, let’s take a look at that. But what we want to really do is make sure that we’re serving the students and their families well.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

Q: Some lawmakers have proposed different methods of accreditation and accountability. What arguments would you make in favor of the current model, the Missouri School Improvement Plan 6 (MSIP6)?

A:&nbsp; There is a place for statewide state standards. You have to have something in place.

When we develop our state standards, we get input from people from all across the state to say: this is what every third grader should know, this is what every fifth grader should know. We really do it for backwards design to say this is what every graduate should know, and be able to do in the state of Missouri. And then you go back, what do they need to know here all the way down to kindergarten, right? It shouldn’t matter where you live in our state, the expectation should be that they’ve acquired these particular skills, and how you go about doing that should be at the local level.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718971537412.png" alt="Margie Vandeven, who is leaving her position as the Commissioner of Education, spends one of her final days in her office Commissioner Karla Eslinger will serve solo at the helm of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Margie Vandeven, who is leaving her position as the Commissioner of Education, spends one of her final days in her office Commissioner Karla Eslinger will serve solo at the helm of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Margie Vandeven, who leaves the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at the end of the month, discusses enduring problems and bright futures within Missouri’s K-12 education system</h2>BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven will leave her position with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at the end of the month, ending her 19 years of work in the department.She&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-commissioner-of-education-announces-resignation/">announced her departure in October</a>, saying it was the “right time to move on personally and professionally.”An educator since 1990, Vandeven was appointed commissioner in 2015. She was ousted briefly between December 2017 and November 2018 when then-Gov. Eric Greitens stacked the board to force her out. After Greitens was forced to resign a few months later in order to avoid impeachment, the board&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/missouri/article221947225.html">voted to reinstate Vandeven</a>“Margie went through something that I never thought I’d see in my political life — with the Greitens administration,” State Board of Education president Charlie Shields, of St. Joseph, said during the state board’s June 11 meeting. “The idea that you had a governor that tried to influence the State Board of Education, tried to influence the selection of a commissioner, that wanted change for no other reason than political expediency.”He said Vandeven “never, ever cracked during that,” applauding her for “grace under pressure.”Next, Vandeven will work as an education chief with the Missouri Department of Conservation and help with education research at Hoover Institution, a public policy think tank at Stanford University.She has been working alongside incoming commissioner Karla Eslinger, who will be serving solo beginning July 1. Eslinger, who recently resigned from the state senate, has served as a teacher, assistant commissioner and an advisor to federal education officials.In her last days in her office, Vandeven spoke to The Independent about the issues that will persist long after her tenure.This interview has been edited for length and clarity.<h2>Q: A big problem for a lot of districts, both in Missouri and nationwide, is attendance. What’s Missouri doing to work on this?</h2>A: The thing with attendance is that the issues are very different depending upon where you are. Local context matters on attendance. It is a national issue right now, and we certainly saw an increase post-pandemic.We are really focusing on getting a highly trained teacher in every classroom, which helps attendance rates because we know that that relationship between the student and the teacher is key. If they have a different substitute teacher in front of them every single day… it can be intimidating.We are looking at learning just a little bit differently and talking about more competency based learning, project based learning, keeping our students very engaged and putting our career counselors in place to say, “You need to know this and understand this because it will help you go on this particular pathway that you’re choosing.”We are meeting with parents and helping them understand that school is a little bit different today than it might have been when they were in school. People depend on you being there. We do a lot of group projects. We do a lot of collaborative teaming… It is making sure parents are aware of the disruption that occurs when students are out and helping educate on what is considered an illness that is severe enough that students should stay home and when is it appropriate to send them back to school.&nbsp;There are a lot of different efforts that are taking place. I had a meeting today with the Department of Mental Health to really talk about how we better address some of these mental health issues that our students are feeling.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718971662877.png" alt=" Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven listens to board member comments about commissioner appointee Karla Eslinger (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven listens to board member comments about commissioner appointee Karla Eslinger (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Q: I always hear that Missouri students can’t read at grade level. Can you tell me about this problem?</h2>A: I think what they’re referring to are the National Assessment for Educational Progress scores, and those have been relatively stagnant across the nation for the past decades. So that’s what they’re referring to when they talk about reading scores.The main shift that we’re seeing is that the science of reading has been just so studied and better understood now. We know better how to teach reading.We’ve been working with our educator-preparation programs. We’ve been working with our teachers who are in the classroom today, and we’ve been looking at high-quality instructional materials. We have been looking at measuring students earlier.If we say we need students to be proficient in reading by grade three, because if you look again at the data, it will tell you that students who are proficient in reading by grade three then read to learn. So, waiting until grade three to get a statewide temperature check on that doesn’t make as much sense.We have kindergarten through third-grade reading assessments, but we’re really focusing on getting that statewide metric for grade two so that they’re assessed early and then interventions are provided early.Early intervention is key. So working with that, I think we’re gonna see the big, big shifts in the future.<h2>Q: Has the state done an inventory of which districts have science-based reading curriculum?</h2>A: We have not done a complete inventory as a state but that is because curriculum is a local decision. However, our school districts are all, to my knowledge, really working on the science of reading.It would be hard to do the state assessments and plans in today’s environment with a curriculum that does not support the science of reading.<h2>Q: As Gov. Mike Parson leaves office, what should people know about working with him, especially with the budget process?</h2>A: I feel very fortunate to have worked with Gov. Parson. He has made it clear from the start that his emphasis was on workforce development and infrastructure, and education falls right into that.He believes that investing in our children is investing in the future of the state of Missouri. And so working with the budget process, the State Board of Education approves (the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) budget. Then, we take it to the governor’s budget, we see what they’re going to put in, and then it goes through the legislative process. It’s a pretty lengthy process. But I do think you can really get a sense of where people’s priorities are when you look at where they’re putting their funding. We’ve seen significant increases in funding for education, and for our students, which genuinely is an investment in the state’s future.<h2>Q: What are your hopes for the next governor?</h2>A: I hope that we can stay united and committed to educating our kids. We can get a lot more done when we’re focusing on the same things together.I always say this, “Great teachers matter.” And you need great teachers in public schools; you need them in private schools; you need them in charter schools, and you need them in virtual schools. Great teachers matter.&nbsp;Early learning matters, no matter your ZIP code. Making sure families have access to that opportunity matters. So, I really hope that the next governor can find some of those areas that are genuinely common ground and focus more on bringing people together and moving towards those goals.<h2>Q: Have you seen a trend of politicization of K-12 education?</h2>A: I’ve absolutely seen an increase in the politicization of education throughout my tenure, and it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when that occurred. But we certainly have seen it. And that’s not just in Missouri, that is across the nation.People do realize how important education is for our students and how important it is for this country, so that has garnered quite a bit of attention from both sides of the aisle. I still believe that we can get much more accomplished when we focus on the big issues.We need politicians, and we need them to be involved in education. But we don’t want it to be a politicized football, where you’re just battling back and forth. We need to be focusing on what it is that we want to accomplish as a state and move those initiatives forward.<h2>Q: Do you have any tips for focusing on the big issues?</h2>A: Both sides of the aisle should be at the table together. I always say that’s one of the greatest things about our State Board of Education. It was written in the constitution that there can’t be more than four (of eight) of any party. Then they develop these personal relationships with one another.If you’ve only talked to like minded people, you’re missing out on a lot of opportunities to fully understand solutions to issues. When you do that, you find out there are more commonalities than differences. I just truly believe that.<h2>Q: Missouri is the only state that I know of with the schools for the disabled model. Do you think this will continue to be the state’s model for high intervention?</h2>A: We’re doing a study right now. We are the only state that does it this way. We’re studying to make sure that it is the best way to serve the students and their families, and that’ll be coming out shortly.It really requires change over time. This has been in place for over 50 years. So I think it is time to really look at the model. And if it’s working in some places, that’s great. If it can be improved in others, let’s take a look at that. But what we want to really do is make sure that we’re serving the students and their families well.GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOXSUBSCRIBE<h2>Q: Some lawmakers have proposed different methods of accreditation and accountability. What arguments would you make in favor of the current model, the Missouri School Improvement Plan 6 (MSIP6)?</h2>A:&nbsp; There is a place for statewide state standards. You have to have something in place.When we develop our state standards, we get input from people from all across the state to say: this is what every third grader should know, this is what every fifth grader should know. We really do it for backwards design to say this is what every graduate should know, and be able to do in the state of Missouri. And then you go back, what do they need to know here all the way down to kindergarten, right? It shouldn’t matter where you live in our state, the expectation should be that they’ve acquired these particular skills, and how you go about doing that should be at the local level.MSIP gives that great flexibility where it says, “These are your standards.” And it gives local districts flexibility on how to get there.The general public and taxpayers do want to know how students are performing against those standards, so I do think there is certainly a place for a third-party provider to come in and provide that information. The state board has been given that authority and has used it consistently from the first MSIP to MSIP6 to focus on ways to provide improvement.If they choose to go to a different accrediting model, I would not go for multiple models because you can’t compare apples to apples, then. And there’s got to be a base understanding of where we are in these measures.<h2>Q: In MSIP6, the distribution of districts among scores seems to be more of a bell curve with fewer high achievers compared to MSIP5.</h2>A: What happened in MSIP5 is there were a number of changes in assessments, a number of things that were passing legislation that said you can’t penalize districts. S we had a lot of districts at the very top of the chart.MSIP6 provides a reset. So often you will see a bell curve at the start of any kind of a reset. That’s sometimes what happens. It is just a much more even distribution of where districts really fall within measurement against those standards.<h2>Q: Do you think the scores needed for accreditation might change because of this different distribution?</h2>A: It could change some. They have multiple years to make sure that they’re showing some improvement. The first year that you run these systems, you’re typically going to see a number of districts that say, “Okay, what do we need to move forward,” and then they are able to do that.One of the big things with MSIP 6 is that we have a growth model that’s in place. Now, that gives equal credit for both individual student growth and their status. That has been a significant shift.<h2>Q: What do you think Commissioner Eslinger will bring to the table?</h2>A: She has so much wisdom, and she’s got a strong drive about doing the right things for kids. With her background of being an educator, of having experience in the state capitol, she is a people person. She is committed to doing the right things for our students.I really couldn’t be happier with the choice. I think she’s gonna do a great job.<h2>Q: Is there anything else we should know?</h2>A: It has been an honor working here. I really, really have found this to be the opportunity of a lifetime.