A bill that passed
the legislative session just before adjournment should help St. Joseph address
its housing shortage.

St. Joseph Chamber
of Commerce President, Natalie Hawn, says changes to state Land Bank
regulations hampered the city’s effort to use its Land Bank to encourage
redevelopment of older, dilapidated homes. 

“Things like you could
only purchase homes that were adjacent to homes that you already purchased,”
Hawn explains to KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “We had just started our Land Bank, so we
had only 12 homes in the Land Bank. So, that was going to pretty much cripple
us.”

She says the Land
Bank is designed to give run-down, vacant homes new life.

“So, the idea
behind that is that you’re purchasing homes or getting homes that are vacant,
that are going on the tax sale,” Hawn says. “So, they’re back due on taxes and
getting them into a Land Bank so that you can get them ready for redevelopment.”

The changes made
in state regulations, though, hurt the St. Joseph Land Bank just as it started
to get off the ground. Changes made in the last bill approved this past
legislative session removed the obstacles to local development.

Hawn says that
wording change and broadening eligibility for the Nuisance Act should help St.
Joseph.

“As we’ve been
researching housing and some of the things that really could help us as we look
at dilapidated or vacant housing and not just housing, but commercial
properties as well, we looked at what they were doing in Kansas City,” Hawn
says.

Hawn adds Kansas
City had been using the nuisance act and the Chamber discovered St. Joseph wasn’t
eligible. The legislation approved this session makes the city eligible.

Hawn says providing
tax breaks and other incentives have to be a part of creating housing in the
city.

“Line up
incentives that will attract people to do what we need,” Hawn says. “You have
to have a plan. You have to have a focus and then you have to incentivize the
developers. It just is what it is. If you don’t incentivize them and bring them
to the table then they’re going to do the housing that they want versus the
housing that your community needs.”

Hawn says St.
Joseph has more than 1,000 vacant homes. The Land Bank provides a way for
developers to acquire older, vacant homes for renovation.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748630448805.jpeg" alt="File photo" />
 <figcaption>File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA bill that passed
the legislative session just before adjournment should help St. Joseph address
its housing shortage.St. Joseph Chamber
of Commerce President, Natalie Hawn, says changes to state Land Bank
regulations hampered the city’s effort to use its Land Bank to encourage
redevelopment of older, dilapidated homes. “Things like you could
only purchase homes that were adjacent to homes that you already purchased,”
Hawn explains to KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “We had just started our Land Bank, so we
had only 12 homes in the Land Bank. So, that was going to pretty much cripple
us.”She says the Land
Bank is designed to give run-down, vacant homes new life.“So, the idea
behind that is that you’re purchasing homes or getting homes that are vacant,
that are going on the tax sale,” Hawn says. “So, they’re back due on taxes and
getting them into a Land Bank so that you can get them ready for redevelopment.”The changes made
in state regulations, though, hurt the St. Joseph Land Bank just as it started
to get off the ground. Changes made in the last bill approved this past
legislative session removed the obstacles to local development.Hawn expects the
governor to sign it.Hawn says that
wording change and broadening eligibility for the Nuisance Act should help St.
Joseph.“As we’ve been
researching housing and some of the things that really could help us as we look
at dilapidated or vacant housing and not just housing, but commercial
properties as well, we looked at what they were doing in Kansas City,” Hawn
says.Hawn adds Kansas
City had been using the nuisance act and the Chamber discovered St. Joseph wasn’t
eligible. The legislation approved this session makes the city eligible.Hawn says providing
tax breaks and other incentives have to be a part of creating housing in the
city.“Line up
incentives that will attract people to do what we need,” Hawn says. “You have
to have a plan. You have to have a focus and then you have to incentivize the
developers. It just is what it is. If you don’t incentivize them and bring them
to the table then they’re going to do the housing that they want versus the
housing that your community needs.”Hawn says St.
Joseph has more than 1,000 vacant homes. The Land Bank provides a way for
developers to acquire older, vacant homes for renovation.You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Bill passed at end of session should help St. Joseph Land Bank

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/63ixh65BNXempQovtv23WL?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

KFEQ Morning Sports

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph Post<div><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/0s4g9m8DGZ8pNbOcit9SlU?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

KFEQ Morning News

The Senate Freedom Caucus is demanding tax cuts in exchange for not blocking stadium funds, while Democrats on Thursday retaliated for slights during the regular session by derailing the routine work of signing bills

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a>&nbsp;AND&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>

Gov. Mike Kehoe’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/13/new-stadium-funding-plan-for-chiefs-royals-clears-missouri-house/">stadium funding plan</a>&nbsp;for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals is facing growing resistance from across the ideological spectrum as lawmakers prepare to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/27/missouri-governor-calls-special-session-for-kansas-city-stadiums-st-louis-disaster-funding/">return to the Missouri Capitol</a>&nbsp;on Monday.&nbsp;

From the right, the Senate Freedom Caucus is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid023vQfD6pUWGQWJc8Z5QJNo9CWy7JkZ8SaFwpbLEVKrSAGBeBHwRhFgAChQ7iWpRz3l&amp;id=61553871467514" target="_blank">threatening a return to procedural gridlock</a>&nbsp;if the agenda for next week’s special session doesn’t expand to include broad-based tax cuts and changes to the initiative petition process.&nbsp;

“If Gov. Kehoe and legislative leaders insist on using taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars for a half billion dollar (or more) handout to billionaire sports team owners in a standalone bill, the Missouri Freedom Caucus will vote against such a proposal and will consider utilizing any tools at its disposal to stop it,” state Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican, said in a statement on behalf of the four-member Senate Freedom Caucus.&nbsp;

From the left, Democrats are seething that the governor’s agenda for the special session includes hundreds of millions for stadiums but only $25 million in disaster recovery funds for victims of recent tornadoes in the St. Louis region.

“The conversation can’t even begin until serious disaster relief is considered,” said state Sen. Stephen Webber, a Columbia Democrat. “Why do I care about a billionaire’s stadium when people have lost their homes?&nbsp; There’s absolutely no way we’re going to serve a billionaire a feast and leave crumbs for people who just lost their homes. That’s not happening.”

Complicating all calculations is the Democratic fury over how the regular session ended. Republicans used a rare procedural rule to end debate on controversial bills on abortion and paid sick leave.&nbsp;

Democrats promised the Senate would not function normally until they feel they can trust the GOP to work towards compromise.

On Thursday, Democrats showed just how disruptive they could be when Webber halted the routine work of signing bills from the regular session by noting that the chamber lacked a quorum because a majority of senators were not present.&nbsp;

The Senate was stuck as it waited for GOP legislators to make the unplanned trip to Jefferson City from their homes for what was supposed to be a largely ceremonial day.

Then Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, an Affton Democrat, made a motion to adjourn the session for the year. Without voting on that motion, Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin, a Shelbina Republican, adjourned the Senate until Friday so more members could be rounded up.

The day ended in shouting, with Webber accusing his GOP colleagues of violating the chamber’s rules by ignoring Beck’s motion and moving forward to adjourn even though there was no quorum.

“You’re a coward,” Webber yelled as the session was gaveled to a close. “You know that was against the rules and you did it anyway.”

The tension on display Thursday doesn’t bode well for next week’s special session.

“It’s not coming together just swimmingly as of right now,” said state Sen. Lincoln Hough, a Springfield Republican who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The delaying action Thursday was about how the regular session ended, Beck said in an interview. He said he hasn’t had enough conversations with members of his caucus to decide tactics for the special session.

“The only part of the special session I think would be critical would be trying to get some relief for the people of the city of St Louis after the tornado,” Beck said. “There’s some hard feelings out there about how things happened. There’s also a feeling of like the amount of aid that they’ve offered is kind of a slap in the face.”

On Tuesday, Kehoe announced he was calling the legislature back into session to approve $25 million in disaster recovery funds and a little over $200 million in construction projects that failed to win House approval during the regular session.

But the highest profile piece of Kehoe’s special session agenda is his plan for the state to pay up to half the costs of a new stadium for the Kansas City Royals and renovations to Arrowhead Stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs — projects estimated to cost up to $3 billion.

Both teams have expressed interest in leaving Missouri when the lease on their current stadiums expire in 2030, and Kansas lawmakers have put a deal on the table that would use state incentives to pay for up to 70% of the costs of new stadiums.

Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins told The Kansas City Star on Thursday that if the Chiefs or Royals are interested in leaving Missouri, they&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article307452161.html" target="_blank">should act on the state’s offer soon</a>&nbsp;before the deal expires at the end of June.

Kehoe argues that the cost to keep the teams in the state would be less than what Missouri stands to lose if either team leaves the state. He claims the economic activity associated with the Chiefs supports 4,500 jobs, while a new stadium for the Royals would generate about 8,400 jobs.&nbsp;

But while the proposal easily cleared the Missouri House in the legislative session’s final days, it died in the Senate.&nbsp;

A bipartisan filibuster derailed its progress, with complaints ranging from the price tag to the lack of legislative input on the plan.&nbsp;

Senators also complained that stadium funding was taking precedence over $500 million in construction projects killed by the House days earlier that would have funded eight hospitals around the state, supported a new nuclear reactor at the University of Missouri to make cancer treatments and a new mental health hospital in Kansas City.

How opposition in the Senate plays out — the Senate will take up the special session bills first because of anticipated difficulty — will decide what the House can do.

State Rep. Doug Clemens, a Democrat from St. Ann, applauded the moves Thursday to disrupt the normally routine Senate action.

“It’s high time that Democrats dig their heels in and I support this,” Clemens said. “The governor needs to sit down and negotiate with Senate Democrats if we’re going to change things we’re going to make government work for the people.”

House Speaker Jon Patterson, a Republican from Lee’s Summit said he’s ready to act on Kehoe’s package but knows things could change.

“This is politics and negotiating is all part of it,” Patterson said. “There may be negotiations ahead but we will take a look at the current package and move ahead.”

House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, said she’s generally supportive of the items Kehoe is requesting but would like to see more for disaster aid and construction spending.&nbsp;

What happens in the Senate, she said, is the key to the special session.

“The tenor in the Senate is probably going to dictate a lot of what happens,” Aune said.

Kehoe’s special session agenda includes very little of the construction budget spending, creating blowback. Instead of $50 million originally slated for the University of Missouri nuclear reactor, the governor called for only $25 million.&nbsp;

“The governor’s office gave me their word on $50 million, and I expect not one penny less than that,” Webber said. “I’m genuinely perplexed why they would give me their word then go back on it. I didn’t play games with them, and I don’t understand why they are playing games with my district.”

Hough also said the capital construction bill should spend more. And he questions whether the state should start paying for disaster recovery in cases where FEMA is not participating.

The $25 million proposal, he said, “is kind of like a drop in the bucket. That’s also why the state doesn’t do disaster payments, generally, because we don’t have a printing press like the feds.”

Republicans hold a super majority in the Senate — 24 of 34 seats. But it’s unclear if there are 18 GOP votes in support of Kehoe’s stadium plan, meaning Democratic support may be crucial.&nbsp;

Kehoe has a big hammer to sway votes — there are 248 items added to the budget by lawmakers at a cost of $550 million that are in bills awaiting his action. Kehoe has the power to veto any item from the budget he doesn’t like.

“I’ve got members calling me saying, is he gonna veto my stuff?” Hough said.

Kehoe will have to use every bit of his political skills to win passage of the special session package.

“The easiest way to frame this, from my perspective right now, is that there’s an awful lot of negotiation still yet to be done,” Hough said. “It’s just not as simple as everyone’s going to show back up after the way the session ended.”

A spokeswoman for the governor said he “respects the legislative process and hopes that legislators will work together to deliver on the time-sensitive issues in his call for the special session.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748562977306.png" alt=" Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe announces Tuesday that he will call a special legislative session to consider disaster relief, stadium funding and spending items. (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)" />
 <figcaption> Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe announces Tuesday that he will call a special legislative session to consider disaster relief, stadium funding and spending items. (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The Senate Freedom Caucus is demanding tax cuts in exchange for not blocking stadium funds, while Democrats on Thursday retaliated for slights during the regular session by derailing the routine work of signing bills</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a>&nbsp;AND&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>Gov. Mike Kehoe’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/13/new-stadium-funding-plan-for-chiefs-royals-clears-missouri-house/">stadium funding plan</a>&nbsp;for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals is facing growing resistance from across the ideological spectrum as lawmakers prepare to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/27/missouri-governor-calls-special-session-for-kansas-city-stadiums-st-louis-disaster-funding/">return to the Missouri Capitol</a>&nbsp;on Monday.&nbsp;From the right, the Senate Freedom Caucus is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid023vQfD6pUWGQWJc8Z5QJNo9CWy7JkZ8SaFwpbLEVKrSAGBeBHwRhFgAChQ7iWpRz3l&amp;id=61553871467514" target="_blank">threatening a return to procedural gridlock</a>&nbsp;if the agenda for next week’s special session doesn’t expand to include broad-based tax cuts and changes to the initiative petition process.&nbsp;“If Gov. Kehoe and legislative leaders insist on using taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars for a half billion dollar (or more) handout to billionaire sports team owners in a standalone bill, the Missouri Freedom Caucus will vote against such a proposal and will consider utilizing any tools at its disposal to stop it,” state Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican, said in a statement on behalf of the four-member Senate Freedom Caucus.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748263709817.png" alt="GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, is pictured on Sat. Feb. 8 (Anna Spoerre/The Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, is pictured on Sat. Feb. 8 (Anna Spoerre/The Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>From the left, Democrats are seething that the governor’s agenda for the special session includes hundreds of millions for stadiums but only $25 million in disaster recovery funds for victims of recent tornadoes in the St. Louis region.“The conversation can’t even begin until serious disaster relief is considered,” said state Sen. Stephen Webber, a Columbia Democrat. “Why do I care about a billionaire’s stadium when people have lost their homes?&nbsp; There’s absolutely no way we’re going to serve a billionaire a feast and leave crumbs for people who just lost their homes. That’s not happening.”Complicating all calculations is the Democratic fury over how the regular session ended. Republicans used a rare procedural rule to end debate on controversial bills on abortion and paid sick leave.&nbsp;Democrats promised the Senate would not function normally until they feel they can trust the GOP to work towards compromise.On Thursday, Democrats showed just how disruptive they could be when Webber halted the routine work of signing bills from the regular session by noting that the chamber lacked a quorum because a majority of senators were not present.&nbsp;The Senate was stuck as it waited for GOP legislators to make the unplanned trip to Jefferson City from their homes for what was supposed to be a largely ceremonial day.Then Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, an Affton Democrat, made a motion to adjourn the session for the year. Without voting on that motion, Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin, a Shelbina Republican, adjourned the Senate until Friday so more members could be rounded up.The day ended in shouting, with Webber accusing his GOP colleagues of violating the chamber’s rules by ignoring Beck’s motion and moving forward to adjourn even though there was no quorum.“You’re a coward,” Webber yelled as the session was gaveled to a close. “You know that was against the rules and you did it anyway.”The tension on display Thursday doesn’t bode well for next week’s special session.“It’s not coming together just swimmingly as of right now,” said state Sen. Lincoln Hough, a Springfield Republican who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee.The delaying action Thursday was about how the regular session ended, Beck said in an interview. He said he hasn’t had enough conversations with members of his caucus to decide tactics for the special session.“The only part of the special session I think would be critical would be trying to get some relief for the people of the city of St Louis after the tornado,” Beck said. “There’s some hard feelings out there about how things happened. There’s also a feeling of like the amount of aid that they’ve offered is kind of a slap in the face.”On Tuesday, Kehoe announced he was calling the legislature back into session to approve $25 million in disaster recovery funds and a little over $200 million in construction projects that failed to win House approval during the regular session.But the highest profile piece of Kehoe’s special session agenda is his plan for the state to pay up to half the costs of a new stadium for the Kansas City Royals and renovations to Arrowhead Stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs — projects estimated to cost up to $3 billion.Both teams have expressed interest in leaving Missouri when the lease on their current stadiums expire in 2030, and Kansas lawmakers have put a deal on the table that would use state incentives to pay for up to 70% of the costs of new stadiums.Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins told The Kansas City Star on Thursday that if the Chiefs or Royals are interested in leaving Missouri, they&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article307452161.html" target="_blank">should act on the state’s offer soon</a>&nbsp;before the deal expires at the end of June.Kehoe argues that the cost to keep the teams in the state would be less than what Missouri stands to lose if either team leaves the state. He claims the economic activity associated with the Chiefs supports 4,500 jobs, while a new stadium for the Royals would generate about 8,400 jobs.&nbsp;But while the proposal easily cleared the Missouri House in the legislative session’s final days, it died in the Senate.&nbsp;A bipartisan filibuster derailed its progress, with complaints ranging from the price tag to the lack of legislative input on the plan.&nbsp;Senators also complained that stadium funding was taking precedence over $500 million in construction projects killed by the House days earlier that would have funded eight hospitals around the state, supported a new nuclear reactor at the University of Missouri to make cancer treatments and a new mental health hospital in Kansas City.How opposition in the Senate plays out — the Senate will take up the special session bills first because of anticipated difficulty — will decide what the House can do.State Rep. Doug Clemens, a Democrat from St. Ann, applauded the moves Thursday to disrupt the normally routine Senate action.“It’s high time that Democrats dig their heels in and I support this,” Clemens said. “The governor needs to sit down and negotiate with Senate Democrats if we’re going to change things we’re going to make government work for the people.”House Speaker Jon Patterson, a Republican from Lee’s Summit said he’s ready to act on Kehoe’s package but knows things could change.“This is politics and negotiating is all part of it,” Patterson said. “There may be negotiations ahead but we will take a look at the current package and move ahead.”House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, said she’s generally supportive of the items Kehoe is requesting but would like to see more for disaster aid and construction spending.&nbsp;What happens in the Senate, she said, is the key to the special session.“The tenor in the Senate is probably going to dictate a lot of what happens,” Aune said.Kehoe’s special session agenda includes very little of the construction budget spending, creating blowback. Instead of $50 million originally slated for the University of Missouri nuclear reactor, the governor called for only $25 million.&nbsp;“The governor’s office gave me their word on $50 million, and I expect not one penny less than that,” Webber said. “I’m genuinely perplexed why they would give me their word then go back on it. I didn’t play games with them, and I don’t understand why they are playing games with my district.”Hough also said the capital construction bill should spend more. And he questions whether the state should start paying for disaster recovery in cases where FEMA is not participating.The $25 million proposal, he said, “is kind of like a drop in the bucket. That’s also why the state doesn’t do disaster payments, generally, because we don’t have a printing press like the feds.”Republicans hold a super majority in the Senate — 24 of 34 seats. But it’s unclear if there are 18 GOP votes in support of Kehoe’s stadium plan, meaning Democratic support may be crucial.&nbsp;Kehoe has a big hammer to sway votes — there are 248 items added to the budget by lawmakers at a cost of $550 million that are in bills awaiting his action. Kehoe has the power to veto any item from the budget he doesn’t like.“I’ve got members calling me saying, is he gonna veto my stuff?” Hough said.Kehoe will have to use every bit of his political skills to win passage of the special session package.“The easiest way to frame this, from my perspective right now, is that there’s an awful lot of negotiation still yet to be done,” Hough said. “It’s just not as simple as everyone’s going to show back up after the way the session ended.”A spokeswoman for the governor said he “respects the legislative process and hopes that legislators will work together to deliver on the time-sensitive issues in his call for the special session.”

Bipartisan resistance building against Mo. governor’s stadium funding plan

St. Joseph might
well be on the outside looking in during the special legislative session
beginning Monday in Jefferson City.

A capital
improvement package Gov. Mike Kehoe wants lawmakers to consider does not
contain two major St. Joseph projects:&nbsp;
money for the UMKC dental school and Chiefs Training Camp.

State Rep. Brenda
Shields, a Republican from St. Joseph, says she will look for avenues to secure
financing for the two projects.

“As of right now
he’s made the call rather tight, but I’ve had conversations that some of those
things might be able to be added back in,” Shields tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “I
don’t want to give people lots of hope, but if they have to add things into
(HB)19, for some other reasons, we’ll make sure that we’re at the table.”

House Bill 19 was
a $513 million capital improvement bill that provided financing for projects
throughout the state. It failed when House leadership decided to skip over it
and not bring it to the floor for a vote. The move angered senators and set a
sour tone for the final week of the legislative session.

In the official
call to bring the legislature back into a special session, Gov. Kehoe request
the General Assembly approve only a portion of HB 19, not the entire bill which
contained $7 million for UMKC to establish a dental school on the Missouri Western
State University campus as well as $2.8 million to make improvements to the
Chiefs Training Camp on the Missouri Western campus requested by the Chiefs.
The bill also included $1 million to enhance behavioral services at the Mosaic
Life Care ER and $800,000 to pay for a new roof at the Pony Express Museum.

Under the rules of
a special session, the legislature can only address the issues outlined in the
governor’s call. Shields says that while the St. Joseph projects are outside
the official call, there still might be some room to revive the projects.

“Right now, the
governor called the call pretty tight, but if we need to add additional dollars
for other things across the state, I have made the governor’s office acutely
aware about the importance of those two items, especially the $7 million for
the dental school,” Shields says. “We need that dental school in St. Joseph and
north Missouri.”

Shields points to
federal studies that indicate there are not enough dentists in northern
Missouri to meet the need, with one dentist for every 2,100 residents.

UMKC has proposed
to establish the dental school on the Missouri Western campus as students complete
the final two years of study in a clinic. It would serve as an extension of UMKC’s
work in St. Joseph begun when the university established a medical school in
conjunction with Mosaic Life Care.

The issue garnering
the most attention, of course, is a package of incentives aimed at keeping the
Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in Missouri. When the legislature adjourned early
to wrap up the regular session that package became a victim.

Shields isn’t
surprise lawmakers will return to Jefferson City and return to this issue.

“The Chiefs and
Royals are too important to Missouri’s economy for us not to attempt to do
something around this issue,” Shields says.

Shields points out
Kansas has an attractive offer on the table with cities such as Salt Lake City
looking to land a Major League Baseball team.

The regular
legislative session ended abruptly and acrimoniously after Missouri Senate
Republicans cut off a filibuster staged by Democrats and forced a vote on two controversial
issues. One will ask voters to reinstate some restrictions on abortion. The
other removed the paid sick leave provisions from the minimum wage law approved
by voters in November.

Shields is hopeful
the tension that led the regular session to adjourn early has cooled as
legislators return to the Capitol for the special session.

“You know, I
really like what the governor said that sometimes we can be frustrated with
each other, but we need to make sure that we look at the common good and the
things that are necessary,” Shields says. “And sometimes we just need to be
adults and move passed that.”

The special
legislative session will also consider tax breaks for St. Louis homeowners that
suffered storm damage.

The special
legislative session begins Monday, June 2nd, at the Missouri Capitol
in Jefferson City.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph might
well be on the outside looking in during the special legislative session
beginning Monday in Jefferson City.A capital
improvement package Gov. Mike Kehoe wants lawmakers to consider does not
contain two major St. Joseph projects:&nbsp;
money for the UMKC dental school and Chiefs Training Camp.State Rep. Brenda
Shields, a Republican from St. Joseph, says she will look for avenues to secure
financing for the two projects.“As of right now
he’s made the call rather tight, but I’ve had conversations that some of those
things might be able to be added back in,” Shields tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “I
don’t want to give people lots of hope, but if they have to add things into
(HB)19, for some other reasons, we’ll make sure that we’re at the table.”House Bill 19 was
a $513 million capital improvement bill that provided financing for projects
throughout the state. It failed when House leadership decided to skip over it
and not bring it to the floor for a vote. The move angered senators and set a
sour tone for the final week of the legislative session.In the official
call to bring the legislature back into a special session, Gov. Kehoe request
the General Assembly approve only a portion of HB 19, not the entire bill which
contained $7 million for UMKC to establish a dental school on the Missouri Western
State University campus as well as $2.8 million to make improvements to the
Chiefs Training Camp on the Missouri Western campus requested by the Chiefs.
The bill also included $1 million to enhance behavioral services at the Mosaic
Life Care ER and $800,000 to pay for a new roof at the Pony Express Museum.Under the rules of
a special session, the legislature can only address the issues outlined in the
governor’s call. Shields says that while the St. Joseph projects are outside
the official call, there still might be some room to revive the projects.“Right now, the
governor called the call pretty tight, but if we need to add additional dollars
for other things across the state, I have made the governor’s office acutely
aware about the importance of those two items, especially the $7 million for
the dental school,” Shields says. “We need that dental school in St. Joseph and
north Missouri.”Shields points to
federal studies that indicate there are not enough dentists in northern
Missouri to meet the need, with one dentist for every 2,100 residents.UMKC has proposed
to establish the dental school on the Missouri Western campus as students complete
the final two years of study in a clinic. It would serve as an extension of UMKC’s
work in St. Joseph begun when the university established a medical school in
conjunction with Mosaic Life Care.The issue garnering
the most attention, of course, is a package of incentives aimed at keeping the
Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in Missouri. When the legislature adjourned early
to wrap up the regular session that package became a victim.Shields isn’t
surprise lawmakers will return to Jefferson City and return to this issue.“The Chiefs and
Royals are too important to Missouri’s economy for us not to attempt to do
something around this issue,” Shields says.Shields points out
Kansas has an attractive offer on the table with cities such as Salt Lake City
looking to land a Major League Baseball team.The regular
legislative session ended abruptly and acrimoniously after Missouri Senate
Republicans cut off a filibuster staged by Democrats and forced a vote on two controversial
issues. One will ask voters to reinstate some restrictions on abortion. The
other removed the paid sick leave provisions from the minimum wage law approved
by voters in November.Shields is hopeful
the tension that led the regular session to adjourn early has cooled as
legislators return to the Capitol for the special session.“You know, I
really like what the governor said that sometimes we can be frustrated with
each other, but we need to make sure that we look at the common good and the
things that are necessary,” Shields says. “And sometimes we just need to be
adults and move passed that.”The special
legislative session will also consider tax breaks for St. Louis homeowners that
suffered storm damage.The special
legislative session begins Monday, June 2nd, at the Missouri Capitol
in Jefferson City.You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Special session could have St. Joseph on outside, looking in

Garage Beer, co-owned by Jason and Travis Kelce, announced that it is now a part-owner of the St. Joseph Goats.

“This is more than a sponsorship—it’s a bold, possibly confusing leap into the world of professional sports ownership, and we couldn’t be more excited," Garage Beer stated in a post on social media.

The Goats ownership group also includes former Chiefs running back Christian Okoye.

The St. Joseph Goats compete in the Arena League and will host their first game at the Civic Arena on Saturday, June 7.&nbsp; Their opening game is this Saturday, May 31st against the&nbsp;Ozark Lunkers in Springfield, MO.&nbsp; There will be a watch party at Jakes Steakhouse and Sports Bar in downtown St. Joseph, kickoff at 6:30pm.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostGarage Beer, co-owned by Jason and Travis Kelce, announced that it is now a part-owner of the St. Joseph Goats.“This is more than a sponsorship—it’s a bold, possibly confusing leap into the world of professional sports ownership, and we couldn’t be more excited," Garage Beer stated in a post on social media.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">It’s GOOD to be GOAT <a href="https://twitter.com/KansasCityGoats?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KansasCityGoats</a> <a href="https://t.co/IXguIMOmmX">pic.twitter.com/IXguIMOmmX</a>&mdash; Garage Beer (@drinkgaragebeer) <a href="https://twitter.com/drinkgaragebeer/status/1928089012964647284?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Goats ownership group also includes former Chiefs running back Christian Okoye.The St. Joseph Goats compete in the Arena League and will host their first game at the Civic Arena on Saturday, June 7.&nbsp; Their opening game is this Saturday, May 31st against the&nbsp;Ozark Lunkers in Springfield, MO.&nbsp; There will be a watch party at Jakes Steakhouse and Sports Bar in downtown St. Joseph, kickoff at 6:30pm.&nbsp;&nbsp;<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3Dpfbid02DaL1QwhtR6Du7dF1pARC6DFN2cmALN7ejvhAwA2WqKLhkowq93KbWbDbaPv7TCgRl%26id%3D100093476028835&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="691" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Kelce owned beer company buys stake in St. Joseph Goats

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/0aXHcITJQhH7WbohBiUMe6?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph Post<div><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/7Bf4RbvzdSvTOiMqRo6YPY?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

St. Joseph's Noah Cameron struggled slightly with his command in his fourth major league start, throwing 59 strikes on 92 pitches, but earned his first win at Kauffman Stadium as the Kansas City Royals avoided being swept by the Cincinnati Reds with a 3-2 victory on Wednesday night.&nbsp;

Cameron though, held the Reds scoreless and to just three hits through five innings, while the Royals gave him a lead scoring a run in the fourth inning, Maikel Garcia singling and then scoring all the way from first base on a single by Drew Waters, and then extending the lead in the fifth as John Rave doubled for his first major league hit, and then scored on a double by Bobby Witt Jr after advancing to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Dairon Blanco.&nbsp;

Back to back ground outs by Santiago Espinal and Elly De La Cruz opened the sixth inning for Cameron, but then the left handed pitcher ran into trouble and walked Austin Hays, before surrendering back to back singles to Tyler Stephenson and Spencer Steer, scoring Hays and cutting the Royals lead to 2-1.&nbsp;

After Kansas City was unable add any runs in the bottom of the sixth, Cameron started out the seventh getting Matt McLain to fly out to center field but walked Garrett Hampson before being replaced by Angel Zerpa.&nbsp; Zerpa gave up a single to&nbsp;TJ Friedl, but then forced Espinal to ground into a double play ending the inning.&nbsp; The Royals went on to extend their lead in the seventh inning, Kyle Isbel and Jonathan India walking, both advancing on a wild pitch, Isbel scoring on a sacrifice fly by Witt Jr.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In the eighth inning, De La Cruz doubled off Zerpa to lead off the inning, and Royals manager Matt Quatraro went to the bullpen again calling on John Schreiber.&nbsp; Schreiber allowed the run to score, though it was charged to Zerpa, as Steer singled later in the inning driving in De La Cruz, before Carlos Estévez came on for the last out of the eighth, before staying on for the ninth to earn his 15th save.&nbsp;

Cameron improved to 2-1 with the win, pitching 6 1/3 innings and giving up one run on six hits, walking two and striking out two.&nbsp; Cameron is just the second pitcher since 1893 with 6 1/3+ innings pitched and one run or less in his first four MLB starts.&nbsp; India and Garcia led the way at the plate, India going 2-for-3 and Garcia going 2-for-4 with one run scored, in the win.&nbsp;

Kansas City is off on Thursday.&nbsp; Kansas City hosts Detroit on Friday at Kauffman Stadium.&nbsp; Seth Lugo (3-4, 3.02 ERA) is slated to start for the Royals, returning from the injured list, against Casey Mize (6-1, 2.45 ERA) for the Tigers.&nbsp; First pitch Friday is at 7:10pm, pregame coverage will begin at 6:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748487231031.jpeg" alt="Noah Cameron struggled slightly with command, throwing 59 strikes on 92 pitches over 6 1/3 innings, but earned his first win at Kauffman Stadium in a 3-2 win for the Royals over the Cincinnati Reds/ Photo courtesy of MLB on X" />
 <figcaption>Noah Cameron struggled slightly with command, throwing 59 strikes on 92 pitches over 6 1/3 innings, but earned his first win at Kauffman Stadium in a 3-2 win for the Royals over the Cincinnati Reds/ Photo courtesy of MLB on X</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph's Noah Cameron struggled slightly with his command in his fourth major league start, throwing 59 strikes on 92 pitches, but earned his first win at Kauffman Stadium as the Kansas City Royals avoided being swept by the Cincinnati Reds with a 3-2 victory on Wednesday night.&nbsp;Cameron though, held the Reds scoreless and to just three hits through five innings, while the Royals gave him a lead scoring a run in the fourth inning, Maikel Garcia singling and then scoring all the way from first base on a single by Drew Waters, and then extending the lead in the fifth as John Rave doubled for his first major league hit, and then scored on a double by Bobby Witt Jr after advancing to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Dairon Blanco.&nbsp;Back to back ground outs by Santiago Espinal and Elly De La Cruz opened the sixth inning for Cameron, but then the left handed pitcher ran into trouble and walked Austin Hays, before surrendering back to back singles to Tyler Stephenson and Spencer Steer, scoring Hays and cutting the Royals lead to 2-1.&nbsp;After Kansas City was unable add any runs in the bottom of the sixth, Cameron started out the seventh getting Matt McLain to fly out to center field but walked Garrett Hampson before being replaced by Angel Zerpa.&nbsp; Zerpa gave up a single to&nbsp;TJ Friedl, but then forced Espinal to ground into a double play ending the inning.&nbsp; The Royals went on to extend their lead in the seventh inning, Kyle Isbel and Jonathan India walking, both advancing on a wild pitch, Isbel scoring on a sacrifice fly by Witt Jr.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the eighth inning, De La Cruz doubled off Zerpa to lead off the inning, and Royals manager Matt Quatraro went to the bullpen again calling on John Schreiber.&nbsp; Schreiber allowed the run to score, though it was charged to Zerpa, as Steer singled later in the inning driving in De La Cruz, before Carlos Estévez came on for the last out of the eighth, before staying on for the ninth to earn his 15th save.&nbsp;Cameron improved to 2-1 with the win, pitching 6 1/3 innings and giving up one run on six hits, walking two and striking out two.&nbsp; Cameron is just the second pitcher since 1893 with 6 1/3+ innings pitched and one run or less in his first four MLB starts.&nbsp; India and Garcia led the way at the plate, India going 2-for-3 and Garcia going 2-for-4 with one run scored, in the win.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Noah Cameron is the 2nd pitcher since 1893 with 6.1+ IP and 1 run or less in his first 4 MLB starts 🤯 (H/T <a href="https://twitter.com/EliasSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EliasSports</a>) <a href="https://t.co/5x4tDTRlrd">pic.twitter.com/5x4tDTRlrd</a>&mdash; MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1927904355358851439?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kansas City is off on Thursday.&nbsp; Kansas City hosts Detroit on Friday at Kauffman Stadium.&nbsp; Seth Lugo (3-4, 3.02 ERA) is slated to start for the Royals, returning from the injured list, against Casey Mize (6-1, 2.45 ERA) for the Tigers.&nbsp; First pitch Friday is at 7:10pm, pregame coverage will begin at 6:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Royals avoid sweep as Noah Cameron gets first Kauffman Stadium win

LIVINGSTON COUNTY —Five people were injured in an accident just after 9a.m. Wednesday in Livingston County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan driven by a 51-year-old Chillicothe woman was southbound on U.S. 65 three miles south of Chillicothe in a construction zone.

The van rear-ended 2017 Toyota Sienna driven by a 38-year-old Danville, Kentucky.&nbsp; After impact, the Toyota spun counter clockwise and rear-ended a 2022 Ford Edge driven by a 41-year-old Albany woman.

Chillicothe EMS transported a 26-year-old female passenger from Chillicothe in the van to Hedrick Medical Center.&nbsp; Chillicothe EMS&nbsp; transported two adults passengers in the Toyota from Stanford, Kentucky to Hedrick Medical Center. One was later air-lifted to Truman Medical Center. EMS also transported an infant girl and 1-year-old girl from the van to Children's Medical Center. There were no other injuries. Two adults in the van were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

LIVINGSTON COUNTY —Five people were injured in an accident just after 9a.m. Wednesday in Livingston County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan driven by a 51-year-old Chillicothe woman was southbound on U.S. 65 three miles south of Chillicothe in a construction zone.The van rear-ended 2017 Toyota Sienna driven by a 38-year-old Danville, Kentucky.&nbsp; After impact, the Toyota spun counter clockwise and rear-ended a 2022 Ford Edge driven by a 41-year-old Albany woman.Chillicothe EMS transported a 26-year-old female passenger from Chillicothe in the van to Hedrick Medical Center.&nbsp; Chillicothe EMS&nbsp; transported two adults passengers in the Toyota from Stanford, Kentucky to Hedrick Medical Center. One was later air-lifted to Truman Medical Center. EMS also transported an infant girl and 1-year-old girl from the van to Children's Medical Center. There were no other injuries. Two adults in the van were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

3 adults, 2 children hospitalized after construction zone crash

DAVIESS COUNTY —Two people were injured in an accident just before 12:30p.m. Wednesday in Daviess County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1994 Cadillac Fleetwood driven by a 45-year-old Trenton man was westbound on MO 6 just east of MO 190. The car rear-ended a 2013 Jeep Cherokee driven by a 62-year-old Gallatin woman, who was stopped in traffic to make a left turn.

Davis County EMS transported both drivers to area hospitals. They were both properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

DAVIESS COUNTY —Two people were injured in an accident just before 12:30p.m. Wednesday in Daviess County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1994 Cadillac Fleetwood driven by a 45-year-old Trenton man was westbound on MO 6 just east of MO 190. The car rear-ended a 2013 Jeep Cherokee driven by a 62-year-old Gallatin woman, who was stopped in traffic to make a left turn.Davis County EMS transported both drivers to area hospitals. They were both properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

2 injured after Daviess  County rear-end crash

Missouri Gov. Mike
Kehoe is calling the legislature back into special session to reconsider a
couple of pieces of legislation left undone during the regular session.

One is a portion of a $513 million
capital improvement bill that contained money for St. Joseph projects. Another
is an incentive package to keep the Chiefs and Royals in Missouri.

St. Joseph Chamber
of Commerce President, Natalie Hawn, is keeping a close eye on the local
projects and says while the incentives package for the Chiefs and Royals
doesn’t have a direct impact on St. Joseph, it does mean something for area
residents.

“There’s definitely
a pride piece to that,” Hawn tells KFEQmmunity. “We are in St. Joseph, Missouri
and if we were to lose both the Royals and the Chiefs to the Kansas side, I mean
I think there’s a little bit of a pride piece to that. Those are our hometown
teams.”

The proposal for
the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals involves the state issuing
bonds to pay up to 70% of the cost of building new stadiums or renovating the
current stadiums. The plan also would authorize up to $50 million in tax
credits.

Kansas has an
offer on the table that would pay up to 70% of building new stadiums for both
teams.

House leadership
refused to bring the capital improvement package up for a vote, infuriating
Senate leaders and setting a sour tone for the last week of the legislative
session. It contained financing for local projects, including $7 million for
UMKC to establish a dental school in St. Joseph.

“That would be a
partnership with Missouri Western, on campus, and again just another great
training and opportunity to showcase our community; really get some folks for
rural Missouri and other rural parts of the country that really need medicine,
whether its dentists or doctors,” Hawn says.

Hawn says the
dental school would be a logical next step for UMKC which has found success
with its medical school in St. Joseph operated in partnership with Mosaic Life
Care.

“I’d love to see
that get across the finish line,” Hawn says. “I know there’s been a lot of work
go into that program and it can be a real benefit, not only to St. Joseph, but
people that are in rural parts of northwest Missouri. And then, obviously, I’d
love to see us get the funding we need to secure Chiefs Training Camp for
another year.”

That capital
improvement package, House Bill 19, included $2.8 million for improvements to
the Chiefs Training Camp at Missouri Western. The bill also contained $1
million for Mosaic Life Care to expand behavioral health services at its
Emergency Room, and $800,000 for a new roof over the Pony Express Museum. None of those projects are guaranteed to be in the newly refashioned capital improvement package. St. Joseph area lawmakers say they will attempt to revive some of the spending.

Kehoe also will
ask the legislature to provide tax breaks for homeowners in St. Louis and other
parts of Missouri that suffered property loss in the recent storms.

This article has been updated to clarify that the St. Joseph capital improvement projects remain up in the air.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMissouri Gov. Mike
Kehoe is calling the legislature back into special session to reconsider a
couple of pieces of legislation left undone during the regular session.One is a portion of a $513 million
capital improvement bill that contained money for St. Joseph projects. Another
is an incentive package to keep the Chiefs and Royals in Missouri.St. Joseph Chamber
of Commerce President, Natalie Hawn, is keeping a close eye on the local
projects and says while the incentives package for the Chiefs and Royals
doesn’t have a direct impact on St. Joseph, it does mean something for area
residents.“There’s definitely
a pride piece to that,” Hawn tells KFEQmmunity. “We are in St. Joseph, Missouri
and if we were to lose both the Royals and the Chiefs to the Kansas side, I mean
I think there’s a little bit of a pride piece to that. Those are our hometown
teams.”The proposal for
the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals involves the state issuing
bonds to pay up to 70% of the cost of building new stadiums or renovating the
current stadiums. The plan also would authorize up to $50 million in tax
credits.Kansas has an
offer on the table that would pay up to 70% of building new stadiums for both
teams.House leadership
refused to bring the capital improvement package up for a vote, infuriating
Senate leaders and setting a sour tone for the last week of the legislative
session. It contained financing for local projects, including $7 million for
UMKC to establish a dental school in St. Joseph.“That would be a
partnership with Missouri Western, on campus, and again just another great
training and opportunity to showcase our community; really get some folks for
rural Missouri and other rural parts of the country that really need medicine,
whether its dentists or doctors,” Hawn says.Hawn says the
dental school would be a logical next step for UMKC which has found success
with its medical school in St. Joseph operated in partnership with Mosaic Life
Care.“I’d love to see
that get across the finish line,” Hawn says. “I know there’s been a lot of work
go into that program and it can be a real benefit, not only to St. Joseph, but
people that are in rural parts of northwest Missouri. And then, obviously, I’d
love to see us get the funding we need to secure Chiefs Training Camp for
another year.”That capital
improvement package, House Bill 19, included $2.8 million for improvements to
the Chiefs Training Camp at Missouri Western. The bill also contained $1
million for Mosaic Life Care to expand behavioral health services at its
Emergency Room, and $800,000 for a new roof over the Pony Express Museum. None of those projects are guaranteed to be in the newly refashioned capital improvement package. St. Joseph area lawmakers say they will attempt to revive some of the spending.Kehoe also will
ask the legislature to provide tax breaks for homeowners in St. Louis and other
parts of Missouri that suffered property loss in the recent storms.This article has been updated to clarify that the St. Joseph capital improvement projects remain up in the air.You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Gov. Kehoe calls for special session that could include St. Joseph projects

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

Missouri has agreed to abide by a request from the federal government to turn over personal data about anyone receiving food assistance, the state social services agency confirmed to The Independent Tuesday.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/data-sharing-guidance" target="_blank">earlier this month</a>&nbsp;requested sensitive data from states about participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, including their Social Security numbers and addresses, in what it says is an effort to ensure program integrity.

That request has prompted concerns among privacy and hunger groups, who have argued it violates federal privacy law and data protections.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/05/22/nx-s1-5407994/usda-doge-snap-nutrition-privacy" target="_blank">Currently</a>, information about the names of people receiving SNAP and their personal information is held only by states, not the federal government. Some states with Democratic governors, including&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/05/22/kansas-denies-usda-request-for-personal-data-of-residents-receiving-food-assistance/" target="_blank">Kansas</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://sourcenm.com/briefs/new-mexico-refuses-federal-governments-request-for-snap-cardholder-data/" target="_blank">New Mexico</a>, have refused to comply with the request, citing concerns surrounding its legality.

<a href="https://alaskabeacon.com/2025/05/15/alaska-gives-food-stamp-recipients-personal-information-to-federal-officials/" target="_blank">Alaska</a>&nbsp;has said it will comply, as have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/05/22/nx-s1-5407994/usda-doge-snap-nutrition-privacy" target="_blank">Ohio and Iowa</a>.

“It is normal course of business for Missouri to securely share information regarding federal programs with federal partner agencies,” said Baylee Watts, spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Social Services.

The social services department, Watts added, “does not anticipate any concerns and will coordinate with the USDA to ensure appropriate follow up is taken from the state level.”&nbsp;

SNAP is a joint state-federal program: The federal government pays for benefits that states administer.&nbsp;

There were<a href="https://dss.mo.gov/mis/clcounter/history.htm" target="_blank">&nbsp;652,427 people receiving SNAP benefits in Missouri as of April</a>&nbsp;— or roughly one in 10 Missourians.

The request for personal data came in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/data-sharing-guidance" target="_blank">letter dated May 6 from the USDA,&nbsp;</a>which oversees the program. It was signed by Gina Brand, the agency’s senior policy advisor for integrity.

The letter requests personally-identifiable information from SNAP recipients including names, dates of birth, addresses and Social Security numbers, along with total SNAP benefits received.&nbsp;

The data is required to cover Jan. 1, 2020 to present. Each state is currently a “SNAP information silo,” the letter said.

The federal agency will use the data requested to “ensure program integrity,” which will include verifying eligibility, the letter states.

The action will “ensure Americans in need receive assistance, while at the same time safeguarding taxpayer dollars from abuse,” Brand wrote.&nbsp;

If states don’t comply, federal funding could be withheld, the letter warned.

The letter cited&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/03/25/2025-05214/stopping-waste-fraud-and-abuse-by-eliminating-information-silos" target="_blank">an executive order</a>&nbsp;by President Donald Trump requiring that federal agencies “take all necessary steps” to ensure the federal government has “unfettered access to comprehensive data from all state programs that receive federal funding,” including data held by third-party entities.

The goal of such efforts, according to the executive order, is to “detect overpayments and fraud.”&nbsp;

The Department of Government Efficiency — part of the executive branch under Trump — reportedly has&nbsp;<a href="https://alaskabeacon.com/2025/05/15/alaska-gives-food-stamp-recipients-personal-information-to-federal-officials/" target="_blank">used that order</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/05/07/doge-government-data-immigration-social-security/" target="_blank">combine personal data collected from several agencies</a>&nbsp;to help the federal government track and arrest immigrants for deportation.

USDA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from The Independent but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/05/22/nx-s1-5407994/usda-doge-snap-nutrition-privacy" target="_blank">previously told NPR</a>: “All personally identifiable information will comply with all privacy laws and regulations and will follow responsible data handling requirements.”

A spokesperson for Fidelity National Information Services, a&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills251/fiscal/fispdf/0993H.01I.ORG.pdf" target="_blank">vendor</a>&nbsp;Missouri contracts with to distribute SNAP benefits, said by email that the company is “committed to safeguarding privacy and ensuring rigorous standards for data protection and compliance” and that it is “supporting the USDA and our state partners in their efforts to determine next steps.”&nbsp;

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.defendstudents.org/news/body/2025.05.22_Dkt._1_Complaint.pdf" target="_blank">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;filed last week by SNAP participants, a privacy organization and national hunger organization argued the request violates federal privacy laws and skirts safeguards designed to protect participants’ data. The lawsuit asked a federal court to halt the data collection.

The lawsuit, plaintiffs wrote, seeks to ensure that the federal government “is not exploiting our most vulnerable citizens by disregarding longstanding privacy protections, depriving the public of critical information regarding data collection and protections, and eviscerating the public’s right to comment on the mass collection and consolidation by the federal government of sensitive, personal data of tens of millions of individuals who rely on federal food assistance benefits.”

The efforts come as Congress considers deep cuts to the SNAP program&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/23/cuts-to-food-aid-endorsed-by-congressional-gop-could-cost-missouri-400-million/">that could cost Missouri $400 million and result in thousands of families losing aid.</a>

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/cbates/">CLARA BATES</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri has agreed to abide by a request from the federal government to turn over personal data about anyone receiving food assistance, the state social services agency confirmed to The Independent Tuesday.The U.S. Department of Agriculture&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/data-sharing-guidance" target="_blank">earlier this month</a>&nbsp;requested sensitive data from states about participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, including their Social Security numbers and addresses, in what it says is an effort to ensure program integrity.That request has prompted concerns among privacy and hunger groups, who have argued it violates federal privacy law and data protections.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/05/22/nx-s1-5407994/usda-doge-snap-nutrition-privacy" target="_blank">Currently</a>, information about the names of people receiving SNAP and their personal information is held only by states, not the federal government. Some states with Democratic governors, including&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/05/22/kansas-denies-usda-request-for-personal-data-of-residents-receiving-food-assistance/" target="_blank">Kansas</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://sourcenm.com/briefs/new-mexico-refuses-federal-governments-request-for-snap-cardholder-data/" target="_blank">New Mexico</a>, have refused to comply with the request, citing concerns surrounding its legality.<a href="https://alaskabeacon.com/2025/05/15/alaska-gives-food-stamp-recipients-personal-information-to-federal-officials/" target="_blank">Alaska</a>&nbsp;has said it will comply, as have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/05/22/nx-s1-5407994/usda-doge-snap-nutrition-privacy" target="_blank">Ohio and Iowa</a>.“It is normal course of business for Missouri to securely share information regarding federal programs with federal partner agencies,” said Baylee Watts, spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Social Services.The social services department, Watts added, “does not anticipate any concerns and will coordinate with the USDA to ensure appropriate follow up is taken from the state level.”&nbsp;SNAP is a joint state-federal program: The federal government pays for benefits that states administer.&nbsp;There were<a href="https://dss.mo.gov/mis/clcounter/history.htm" target="_blank">&nbsp;652,427 people receiving SNAP benefits in Missouri as of April</a>&nbsp;— or roughly one in 10 Missourians.The request for personal data came in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/data-sharing-guidance" target="_blank">letter dated May 6 from the USDA,&nbsp;</a>which oversees the program. It was signed by Gina Brand, the agency’s senior policy advisor for integrity.The letter requests personally-identifiable information from SNAP recipients including names, dates of birth, addresses and Social Security numbers, along with total SNAP benefits received.&nbsp;The data is required to cover Jan. 1, 2020 to present. Each state is currently a “SNAP information silo,” the letter said.The federal agency will use the data requested to “ensure program integrity,” which will include verifying eligibility, the letter states.The action will “ensure Americans in need receive assistance, while at the same time safeguarding taxpayer dollars from abuse,” Brand wrote.&nbsp;If states don’t comply, federal funding could be withheld, the letter warned.The letter cited&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/03/25/2025-05214/stopping-waste-fraud-and-abuse-by-eliminating-information-silos" target="_blank">an executive order</a>&nbsp;by President Donald Trump requiring that federal agencies “take all necessary steps” to ensure the federal government has “unfettered access to comprehensive data from all state programs that receive federal funding,” including data held by third-party entities.The goal of such efforts, according to the executive order, is to “detect overpayments and fraud.”&nbsp;The Department of Government Efficiency — part of the executive branch under Trump — reportedly has&nbsp;<a href="https://alaskabeacon.com/2025/05/15/alaska-gives-food-stamp-recipients-personal-information-to-federal-officials/" target="_blank">used that order</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/05/07/doge-government-data-immigration-social-security/" target="_blank">combine personal data collected from several agencies</a>&nbsp;to help the federal government track and arrest immigrants for deportation.USDA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from The Independent but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/05/22/nx-s1-5407994/usda-doge-snap-nutrition-privacy" target="_blank">previously told NPR</a>: “All personally identifiable information will comply with all privacy laws and regulations and will follow responsible data handling requirements.”A spokesperson for Fidelity National Information Services, a&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills251/fiscal/fispdf/0993H.01I.ORG.pdf" target="_blank">vendor</a>&nbsp;Missouri contracts with to distribute SNAP benefits, said by email that the company is “committed to safeguarding privacy and ensuring rigorous standards for data protection and compliance” and that it is “supporting the USDA and our state partners in their efforts to determine next steps.”&nbsp;A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.defendstudents.org/news/body/2025.05.22_Dkt._1_Complaint.pdf" target="_blank">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;filed last week by SNAP participants, a privacy organization and national hunger organization argued the request violates federal privacy laws and skirts safeguards designed to protect participants’ data. The lawsuit asked a federal court to halt the data collection.The lawsuit, plaintiffs wrote, seeks to ensure that the federal government “is not exploiting our most vulnerable citizens by disregarding longstanding privacy protections, depriving the public of critical information regarding data collection and protections, and eviscerating the public’s right to comment on the mass collection and consolidation by the federal government of sensitive, personal data of tens of millions of individuals who rely on federal food assistance benefits.”The efforts come as Congress considers deep cuts to the SNAP program&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/23/cuts-to-food-aid-endorsed-by-congressional-gop-could-cost-missouri-400-million/">that could cost Missouri $400 million and result in thousands of families losing aid.</a>

Missouri will hand over personal data of food aid recipients to feds

WASHINGTON — The final Missouri student has been eliminated from the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Ananya Aggarwal, 12, Columbia Independent Upper School was the only student from Missouri who advanced to the Wednesday quarterfinals.&nbsp; She did not advance to the semifinals set for Wednesday evening, according to the Bee website.

<a href="https://spellingbee.com/watch">Click here for details&nbsp;</a>on how to watch the competition

WASHINGTON —Ananya Aggarwal, 12, Columbia Independent Upper School is the only student from Missouri who advanced to the Wednesday quarterfinals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Seven students from Missouri earned a trip to compete at the national competition.

St. Joseph student, 14-year-old Natalie Linthicum North Davies R-III did not advance to the quarterfinals.

Sixty spellers were eliminated in preliminary spelling and vocabulary rounds. That left 183 who took the written spelling and vocabulary test. That test eliminated 84 more. The quarterfinals are Wednesday with 99 spellers left

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748445200072.png" alt="Annya Aggarwal photo Scripps National Spelling Bee" />
 <figcaption>Annya Aggarwal photo Scripps National Spelling Bee</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — The final Missouri student has been eliminated from the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Ananya Aggarwal, 12, Columbia Independent Upper School was the only student from Missouri who advanced to the Wednesday quarterfinals.&nbsp; She did not advance to the semifinals set for Wednesday evening, according to the Bee website.<a href="https://spellingbee.com/watch">Click here for details&nbsp;</a>on how to watch the competition--------WASHINGTON —Ananya Aggarwal, 12, Columbia Independent Upper School is the only student from Missouri who advanced to the Wednesday quarterfinals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Seven students from Missouri earned a trip to compete at the national competition.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748379509213.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>St. Joseph student, 14-year-old Natalie Linthicum North Davies R-III did not advance to the quarterfinals.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748378706038.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Sixty spellers were eliminated in preliminary spelling and vocabulary rounds. That left 183 who took the written spelling and vocabulary test. That test eliminated 84 more. The quarterfinals are Wednesday with 99 spellers left

Final Missouri student eliminated from National Spelling Bee 

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/5x1pV1bNofQfhYlT847Waj?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph Post<div><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/56Xhn8GztHGg2AuPWCaJkA?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

A consultant
recommends St. Joseph sewer rates rise by three percent annually over the next
two years.

The St. Joseph
City Council has been presented with the results of a sewer rate study
conducted by Burns &amp; McDonnell at a work session. The study recommends sewer
bills rise by three percent at midyear next year and in 2026. The study
estimates the average sewer bill will rise by a dollar-85 a month in 2025 and a
dollar-94 in 2026.

The city states
the rise would help the city keep up with the rising cost of state and federal
regulations.

Sewer rates rose
by four percent last year. The city says that was the first increase since
2017.

“I understand that
any increase in utility costs can be a hardship, and I want our citizens to
know that we are doing everything we can to keep those increases as minimal as
possible,” Public Works Director, Abe Forney, said in a written statement
released by the city. “These improvements are not optional. They are mandated
by the DNR and the EPA to protect the public and the environment. Our goal as
public works staff is to meet these requirements in a way that minimizes the
financial burden to our community.”

The Burns &amp;
McDonnell study reports the average St. Joseph sewer bill is $65.70 a month
while the average bill in Omaha is $60.12 and the average bill in Kansas City
is $79.01. 

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA consultant
recommends St. Joseph sewer rates rise by three percent annually over the next
two years.The St. Joseph
City Council has been presented with the results of a sewer rate study
conducted by Burns &amp; McDonnell at a work session. The study recommends sewer
bills rise by three percent at midyear next year and in 2026. The study
estimates the average sewer bill will rise by a dollar-85 a month in 2025 and a
dollar-94 in 2026.The city states
the rise would help the city keep up with the rising cost of state and federal
regulations.Sewer rates rose
by four percent last year. The city says that was the first increase since
2017.“I understand that
any increase in utility costs can be a hardship, and I want our citizens to
know that we are doing everything we can to keep those increases as minimal as
possible,” Public Works Director, Abe Forney, said in a written statement
released by the city. “These improvements are not optional. They are mandated
by the DNR and the EPA to protect the public and the environment. Our goal as
public works staff is to meet these requirements in a way that minimizes the
financial burden to our community.”The Burns &amp;
McDonnell study reports the average St. Joseph sewer bill is $65.70 a month
while the average bill in Omaha is $60.12 and the average bill in Kansas City
is $79.01. You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph sewer rates could go up 3% next two years

St. Joseph police are
investigating a shooting late Saturday evening in north St. Joseph that left a
woman with a foot wound.

The St. Joseph
Police Department reports a person in a passenger vehicle shot at occupants in
a SUV at the intersection of Randolph Street and St. Joseph Avenue around 11:15
Saturday night, striking a woman.

The woman was
taken to the hospital for treatment.

This incident
remains under investigation by the St. Joseph Police Department. Anyone with
information is encouraged to contact the Tips Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph police are
investigating a shooting late Saturday evening in north St. Joseph that left a
woman with a foot wound.The St. Joseph
Police Department reports a person in a passenger vehicle shot at occupants in
a SUV at the intersection of Randolph Street and St. Joseph Avenue around 11:15
Saturday night, striking a woman.The woman was
taken to the hospital for treatment.This incident
remains under investigation by the St. Joseph Police Department. Anyone with
information is encouraged to contact the Tips Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS.You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph police investigating north-end shooting

The 16th season of Mustangs baseball begins tonight.&nbsp; &nbsp;

A roster with several returning faces, and several new faces as well take the field tonight at Phil Welch Stadium for Opening Day. &nbsp;

Owner and General Manager Ky Turner says after working all year to get to this day, it's a fun and fulfilling feeling to start a new season&nbsp;

"I use the word a little bit nervous, just because we don't want to screw some stuff up, we've set a standard for ourselves that I think is pretty good," Turner tells reporters.&nbsp; "So, we want to reach that standard and then continue to climb that ladder just to build that guest experience."&nbsp;

The Mustangs are coming off a season in which they won their ninth championship.&nbsp; Turner says it's hard to say how that can be topped. &nbsp;

Tuner says they can't ask the team to beat teams by more runs and can't take more than first place, but winning a championship is incredible&nbsp;

"Every one of them means something, they're incredible, you know last year told a story, every summer tells a different story," Turner explains.&nbsp; "Last year was a little written for us with Dan's (Gerson) passing to see what it was going to look like, and I don't know that's what the fun part is just to see what's going to happen this year to write a new chapter in that Mustangs history book is something we look forward to."&nbsp;

New at the stadium this year, is a new video board atop the scoreboard. Turner says the new addition is exciting to help enhance the fan experience at Phil Welch Stadium&nbsp;

"We don't want to rely solely on the board, you know say here it is, look we still want to have that fan engagement that's personable, I think that's important we don't want to lose touch with that, but this absolutely allows us to enhance some of the things we're doing," Turner says.&nbsp; "We're so thankful for the opportunity from the city and the parks tax that was passed, then also the people who help supported, the 1939 Club."&nbsp;

Turner says now they get to look to what their next project could be to continue enhancing Phil Welch into the new century&nbsp;

The Mustangs take on a new opponent tonight, the northeast Missouri Craze.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:30, a new first pitch time during weekdays with gates opening at 5:15.&nbsp;

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/2025/5/1748397405053.jpeg" alt="Mustangs players wait for team introductions during Mustangs FanFest/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Mustangs players wait for team introductions during Mustangs FanFest/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE&nbsp;St. Joseph Post&nbsp;The 16th season of Mustangs baseball begins tonight.&nbsp; &nbsp;A roster with several returning faces, and several new faces as well take the field tonight at Phil Welch Stadium for Opening Day. &nbsp;Owner and General Manager Ky Turner says after working all year to get to this day, it's a fun and fulfilling feeling to start a new season&nbsp;"I use the word a little bit nervous, just because we don't want to screw some stuff up, we've set a standard for ourselves that I think is pretty good," Turner tells reporters.&nbsp; "So, we want to reach that standard and then continue to climb that ladder just to build that guest experience."&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748397594548.jpeg" alt="Mustangs General Manager and Owner Ky Turner addresses fans during Mustangs FanFest/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Mustangs General Manager and Owner Ky Turner addresses fans during Mustangs FanFest/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>The Mustangs are coming off a season in which they won their ninth championship.&nbsp; Turner says it's hard to say how that can be topped. &nbsp;Tuner says they can't ask the team to beat teams by more runs and can't take more than first place, but winning a championship is incredible&nbsp;"Every one of them means something, they're incredible, you know last year told a story, every summer tells a different story," Turner explains.&nbsp; "Last year was a little written for us with Dan's (Gerson) passing to see what it was going to look like, and I don't know that's what the fun part is just to see what's going to happen this year to write a new chapter in that Mustangs history book is something we look forward to."&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748397727171.jpeg" alt="A new video board sits atop the outfield scoreboard at Phil Welch Stadium/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>A new video board sits atop the outfield scoreboard at Phil Welch Stadium/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>New at the stadium this year, is a new video board atop the scoreboard. Turner says the new addition is exciting to help enhance the fan experience at Phil Welch Stadium&nbsp;"We don't want to rely solely on the board, you know say here it is, look we still want to have that fan engagement that's personable, I think that's important we don't want to lose touch with that, but this absolutely allows us to enhance some of the things we're doing," Turner says.&nbsp; "We're so thankful for the opportunity from the city and the parks tax that was passed, then also the people who help supported, the 1939 Club."&nbsp;Turner says now they get to look to what their next project could be to continue enhancing Phil Welch into the new century&nbsp;The Mustangs take on a new opponent tonight, the northeast Missouri Craze.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:30, a new first pitch time during weekdays with gates opening at 5:15.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748397794724.jpeg" alt="East Buchanan alum Bronco Whitt (11) and Bishop LeBlond alum and current Northwest Missouri State pitcher Jaren Guck (17) sign autographs for fans during Mustangs FanFest/ Photo by Matt PIke" />
 <figcaption>East Buchanan alum Bronco Whitt (11) and Bishop LeBlond alum and current Northwest Missouri State pitcher Jaren Guck (17) sign autographs for fans during Mustangs FanFest/ Photo by Matt PIke</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1748397815700.jpeg" alt="Lafayette alumni Brayden Luikart, whose back with the team after not playing last season, talks with KQ2 News Director Chris Roush during Mustangs FanFest/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Lafayette alumni Brayden Luikart, whose back with the team after not playing last season, talks with KQ2 News Director Chris Roush during Mustangs FanFest/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Opening Day is here as St. Joseph Mustangs begin 16th season tonight

ANDREW COUNTY —A St. Joseph man died in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Tuesday in Andrew County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Ford Escape driven by a 37-year-old St. Joseph woman was southbound in the northbound lanes of Business 29 at John Glenn Road in Country Club Village. The Ford struck a 2013 Chevy Equinox driven by a 35-year-old St. Joseph man head-on.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The driver of the Chevy was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; Andrew County EMS transported the driver of the Ford and an 6-year-old female passenger in the Ford to Mosaic Life Care. The driver of the Chevy was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

ANDREW COUNTY —A St. Joseph man died in an accident just after 3:30p.m. Tuesday in Andrew County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Ford Escape driven by a 37-year-old St. Joseph woman was southbound in the northbound lanes of Business 29 at John Glenn Road in Country Club Village. The Ford struck a 2013 Chevy Equinox driven by a 35-year-old St. Joseph man head-on.&nbsp;&nbsp;The driver of the Chevy was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; Andrew County EMS transported the driver of the Ford and an 6-year-old female passenger in the Ford to Mosaic Life Care. The driver of the Chevy was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

St. Joseph man dies in wrong-way, head-on crash

DEKALB COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 10:30p.m. Tuesday in DeKalb County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Ford Fusion driven by a 41-year-old Gallatin woman was northbound on exit ramp 54 of Interstate 35. The driver swerved to miss a raccoon in the road, overcorrected and the car traveled off the right side of the road. The vehicle skidded and struck a tree.

DEKALB COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 10:30p.m. Tuesday in DeKalb County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Ford Fusion driven by a 41-year-old Gallatin woman was northbound on exit ramp 54 of Interstate 35. The driver swerved to miss a raccoon in the road, overcorrected and the car traveled off the right side of the road. The vehicle skidded and struck a tree.Cameron ambulance transported the driver to Cameron Regional Medical Center. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

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