Water flowing into the Missouri River from Gavins Point Dam
has been reduced to its winter level.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports it has lowered
releases to 12,000 cubic feet per second. The Corps began reducing water
flowing into the Missouri from Gavins Point on November 23rd. The
navigation flow support season ended December 1st at St. Louis.

“Releases from Gavins Point Dam are being reduced to the
12,000 cubic feet per second winter release rate by mid-December,” John Remus,
Chief of the Missouri River Water Management Division, said in a written statement
released by the Corps. “We will closely monitor river conditions, and releases
will be adjusted to the extent practical to lessen the impacts of river ice
formation on stages in the lower river.” 

The Corps had been releasing 32,000 cfs prior to the
reductions beginning at the end of November.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733505870740.jpeg" alt="Gavins Point Dam/US Army Corps of Engineers photo" />
 <figcaption>Gavins Point Dam/US Army Corps of Engineers photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostWater flowing into the Missouri River from Gavins Point Dam
has been reduced to its winter level.The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports it has lowered
releases to 12,000 cubic feet per second. The Corps began reducing water
flowing into the Missouri from Gavins Point on November 23rd. The
navigation flow support season ended December 1st at St. Louis.“Releases from Gavins Point Dam are being reduced to the
12,000 cubic feet per second winter release rate by mid-December,” John Remus,
Chief of the Missouri River Water Management Division, said in a written statement
released by the Corps. “We will closely monitor river conditions, and releases
will be adjusted to the extent practical to lessen the impacts of river ice
formation on stages in the lower river.” The Corps had been releasing 32,000 cfs prior to the
reductions beginning at the end of November.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Flows from Gavins Point Dam into the Missouri River reduced for winter

A Leavenworth man who conducted an armed robbery incident in Winthrop late last night has been located and taken into custody.

Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett reports that his office received a call of an armed robbery at a gas station in Winthrop around 8:30 last night.  45 year old Ryan Beaudoin entered and held the cashier at gunpoint demanding money. 

Beaudoin was taken into custody this morning at his home in Leavenworth. The Atchison and Leavenworth police departments assited in the investigation.

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/2024/12/1733588667602.png" alt="Beaudoin is being held in Leavenworth Co." />
 <figcaption>Beaudoin is being held in Leavenworth Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostA Leavenworth man who conducted an armed robbery incident in Winthrop late last night has been located and taken into custody.Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett reports that his office received a call of an armed robbery at a gas station in Winthrop around 8:30 last night. 45 year old Ryan Beaudoin entered and held the cashier at gunpoint demanding money. Beaudoin was taken into custody this morning at his home in Leavenworth. The Atchison and Leavenworth police departments assited in the investigation.The investigation is ongoing.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Leavenworth man taken into custody for armed robbery incident in Winthrop

A GoFundMe account has been established to offset the funeral
expenses for a St. Joseph man hit and killed by a car in the early morning
hours of last Sunday.

GoFundMe reports Jason Goldesberry died in a hit-and-run
Sunday morning, December 1st.

The St. Joseph Police Department reported earlier that a
pedestrian was killed when a vehicle left the roadway, struck the pedestrian,
then crashed into the porch of a house between Madison and Green Streets around
four o’clock that morning.

“Jason's life was taken in a hit-and-run early morning on
December 1st. Jason leaves behind his fiancé, three children including his new
baby girl, and two bonus children. Jason's family desperately needs your help
donating to funeral expenses so that he receives proper services,” the
fundraiser reads.

You can find the GoFundMe here: <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-jasons-family-after-tragedy">https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-jasons-family-after-tragedy</a>

GoFundMe reports that if anyone is interested in getting in
touch with the GoFundMe organizer or need additional details, the
"Contact" button on the GoFundMe will send a direct email to the
email address on file with GoFundMe. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733504935897.jpeg" alt="Jason Goldesberry GoFundMe page/Photo courtesy of GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Jason Goldesberry GoFundMe page/Photo courtesy of GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA GoFundMe account has been established to offset the funeral
expenses for a St. Joseph man hit and killed by a car in the early morning
hours of last Sunday.GoFundMe reports Jason Goldesberry died in a hit-and-run
Sunday morning, December 1st.The St. Joseph Police Department reported earlier that a
pedestrian was killed when a vehicle left the roadway, struck the pedestrian,
then crashed into the porch of a house between Madison and Green Streets around
four o’clock that morning.“Jason's life was taken in a hit-and-run early morning on
December 1st. Jason leaves behind his fiancé, three children including his new
baby girl, and two bonus children. Jason's family desperately needs your help
donating to funeral expenses so that he receives proper services,” the
fundraiser reads.You can find the GoFundMe here: <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-jasons-family-after-tragedy">https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-jasons-family-after-tragedy</a>GoFundMe reports that if anyone is interested in getting in
touch with the GoFundMe organizer or need additional details, the
"Contact" button on the GoFundMe will send a direct email to the
email address on file with GoFundMe. You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

GoFundMe account established for pedestrian struck and killed by car

Missouri Governor Mike Parson has appointed Tim Tadlock of
Gallatin to the State Rehabilitation Council.

Tadlock is an insurance agent for State Farm and has served as
president of the Gallatin Rotary Club. He holds marketing and business degrees
from Northwest Missouri State University.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMissouri Governor Mike Parson has appointed Tim Tadlock of
Gallatin to the State Rehabilitation Council.Tadlock is an insurance agent for State Farm and has served as
president of the Gallatin Rotary Club. He holds marketing and business degrees
from Northwest Missouri State University.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Gov. Parson appoints Gallatin man to State Rehabilitation Council

After a short hiatus, the Dance Arts Center is again bringing the holiday spirit to downtown St. Joseph with two performances of The Nutcracker.  

Director Marla Heeler says her company first performed the iconic Christmas ballet two years ago at the Missouri Theatre 

"Prior to that there hadn't been a Nutcracker here in St. Joe for a lot of years other than outside groups coming in, outside professional groups coming in and using students," Heeler tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr.  "So, we bit the bullet and decided we would take it on, and it was received so well, it was just better than we could have even hoped." 

Heeler says they opted for an every-other year approach with the Nutcracker and put on a performance of Alice in Wonderland last year.  

Heeler says doing the show every other year gives people something different to see each show, but it also helps her dancers grow in their roles 

"So that the roles they have this year, in two years they will be in quite a different place," Heeler explains.  "So, it gives them the chance to grow and get some of those roles that they watched when they were younger and work and attain those, so it kind of has a twofold benefit in doing the every other year." 

Heeler says though there have been some people telling her they should perform the show every year as a sort of holiday tradition.  

The performance at the Missouri Theatre will take place tomorrow with shows at 2pm and 7pm. Tickets can be purchased by clicking <a href="https://jomotickets.com/event/the-nutcracker-2024">HERE</a>.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733502377015.jpeg" alt="The Dance Arts Center will bring The Nutcracker to the Missouri Theatre Stage this weekend/ Photo courtesy of The Dance Arts Center " />
 <figcaption>The Dance Arts Center will bring The Nutcracker to the Missouri Theatre Stage this weekend/ Photo courtesy of The Dance Arts Center </figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post After a short hiatus, the Dance Arts Center is again bringing the holiday spirit to downtown St. Joseph with two performances of The Nutcracker. Director Marla Heeler says her company first performed the iconic Christmas ballet two years ago at the Missouri Theatre "Prior to that there hadn't been a Nutcracker here in St. Joe for a lot of years other than outside groups coming in, outside professional groups coming in and using students," Heeler tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. "So, we bit the bullet and decided we would take it on, and it was received so well, it was just better than we could have even hoped." Heeler says they opted for an every-other year approach with the Nutcracker and put on a performance of Alice in Wonderland last year. Heeler says doing the show every other year gives people something different to see each show, but it also helps her dancers grow in their roles "So that the roles they have this year, in two years they will be in quite a different place," Heeler explains. "So, it gives them the chance to grow and get some of those roles that they watched when they were younger and work and attain those, so it kind of has a twofold benefit in doing the every other year." Heeler says though there have been some people telling her they should perform the show every year as a sort of holiday tradition. The performance at the Missouri Theatre will take place tomorrow with shows at 2pm and 7pm. Tickets can be purchased by clicking <a href="https://jomotickets.com/event/the-nutcracker-2024">HERE</a>. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Dance Arts Center brings The Nutcracker to the Missouri Theatre

DAVIESS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 3p.m. Thursday in Daviess County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Ford Fiesta driven by a 24-year-old Hannibal, Missouri, woman was southbound on Interstate 35. An unknown vehicle traveled into the passing lane and caused the Ford to travel into the median, cross the northbound lanes, strike a ditch and overturn.

Daviess County EMS transported the driver to Liberty Hospital. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

DAVIESS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 3p.m. Thursday in Daviess County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Ford Fiesta driven by a 24-year-old Hannibal, Missouri, woman was southbound on Interstate 35. An unknown vehicle traveled into the passing lane and caused the Ford to travel into the median, cross the northbound lanes, strike a ditch and overturn.Daviess County EMS transported the driver to Liberty Hospital. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

Mo. woman hospitalized after rollover accident

A former Kansas City Chief who now helps people and
organizations with leadership training and performance says it all began when
concussions forced him to retire.

Jon McGraw played professionally for 10 years before a series
of concussions motivated him to retire and, then, to consider brain health and
how the brain works.

“And so I’m thankful in a lot of ways for that, because I’ve learned
a ton and have been able to do a lot of things to help heal my brain,” McGraw
tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post in an interview after he spoke to the 2024 St.
Joseph Chamber of Commerce Chairman’s Breakfast. “It’s a big concern for a lot
of my former teammates and a lot of current players right now. It’s an evolving
process of learning what’s really going on with the brain and what happens when
concussions happen.”

McGraw co-founded Vision Pursue which advises corporate teams
and sports franchises. McGraw drew a large crowd to the breakfast held at the
Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center.

McGraw was drafted by the New York Jets after playing for legendary
coach Bill Snyder at Kansas State. He was traded to the Detroit Lions, but
signed with Kansas City where he ended his career.

McGraw says much of what his company teaches is counter
intuitive, often having to spend quite a bit of time teaching employees how to
unlearn conventional wisdom, such as that stress is bad.

“Short term, you’re in a stressful situation, you’re getting
ready to go up and speak in front of a bunch of people on stage. You should
feel sweaty palms and your heart beating. That’s all really, really good stuff.
Or you think of an athlete getting ready to perform. That kind of stress is
really, really good,” according to McGraw. “A lot of what we’ve been taught in
our culture is that it is not, right? You want to be confident and calm and that’s
just not the way the brain-body system works.”

McGraw says stress is the way your brain and body prepares you
to perform.

Stress is ever present in a career, McGraw says, and needs to
become a motivator not a deterrence to performance. A key according to McGraw
is to find joy in the process, not just to seek it in the end result.

“But learning how to spread that out over the entire process;
in performance psychology it’s often referred to as process orientation where
most of your attention is going to the process itself, the daily task of what
it takes to get where you want to go,” McGraw says. “Now, you still enjoy the
realization of that final goal when you get there, but it’s more about the
journey than the destination, right? We’ve all heard that before, but it takes
a little bit training in our culture, because our culture has made the destination
primary.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733425204771.jpeg" alt="Former KC Chief Jon McGraw speaks to a large crowd at the 2024 St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce Chairman's Breakfast at Stoney Creek Inn/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Former KC Chief Jon McGraw speaks to a large crowd at the 2024 St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce Chairman's Breakfast at Stoney Creek Inn/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA former Kansas City Chief who now helps people and
organizations with leadership training and performance says it all began when
concussions forced him to retire.Jon McGraw played professionally for 10 years before a series
of concussions motivated him to retire and, then, to consider brain health and
how the brain works.“And so I’m thankful in a lot of ways for that, because I’ve learned
a ton and have been able to do a lot of things to help heal my brain,” McGraw
tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post in an interview after he spoke to the 2024 St.
Joseph Chamber of Commerce Chairman’s Breakfast. “It’s a big concern for a lot
of my former teammates and a lot of current players right now. It’s an evolving
process of learning what’s really going on with the brain and what happens when
concussions happen.”McGraw co-founded Vision Pursue which advises corporate teams
and sports franchises. McGraw drew a large crowd to the breakfast held at the
Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733425315384.jpeg" alt="Jon McGraw/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Jon McGraw/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>McGraw was drafted by the New York Jets after playing for legendary
coach Bill Snyder at Kansas State. He was traded to the Detroit Lions, but
signed with Kansas City where he ended his career.McGraw says much of what his company teaches is counter
intuitive, often having to spend quite a bit of time teaching employees how to
unlearn conventional wisdom, such as that stress is bad.“Short term, you’re in a stressful situation, you’re getting
ready to go up and speak in front of a bunch of people on stage. You should
feel sweaty palms and your heart beating. That’s all really, really good stuff.
Or you think of an athlete getting ready to perform. That kind of stress is
really, really good,” according to McGraw. “A lot of what we’ve been taught in
our culture is that it is not, right? You want to be confident and calm and that’s
just not the way the brain-body system works.”McGraw says stress is the way your brain and body prepares you
to perform.Stress is ever present in a career, McGraw says, and needs to
become a motivator not a deterrence to performance. A key according to McGraw
is to find joy in the process, not just to seek it in the end result.“But learning how to spread that out over the entire process;
in performance psychology it’s often referred to as process orientation where
most of your attention is going to the process itself, the daily task of what
it takes to get where you want to go,” McGraw says. “Now, you still enjoy the
realization of that final goal when you get there, but it’s more about the
journey than the destination, right? We’ve all heard that before, but it takes
a little bit training in our culture, because our culture has made the destination
primary.”You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Former KC Chief tells St. Joseph Chamber that stress is good

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office argued that regulations like informed consent laws should remain because for most women, abortion is ‘against their moral beliefs’

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Missouri’s trigger law banning nearly all abortions remains in place. But at 12:01 a.m. Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">Amendment 3&nbsp;</a>will go into effect.&nbsp;

The constitutional amendment, which received 51.6% of the nearly 3 million votes cast, prohibits the legislature from regulating abortion prior to the point of fetal viability — generally seen as the point at which a fetus can likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary measures.

Planned Parenthood officials said they have providers and staff prepared to start seeing patients for walk-in medication abortion appointments at three clinics — in Kansas City, St. Louis and Columbia —&nbsp;beginning Friday, followed later by scheduled surgical abortions.&nbsp;

But whether that happens depends on the outcome of a lawsuit that had its first hearing before a Jackson County judge Wednesday morning.&nbsp;

“What we don’t have are the abilities to overcome state restrictions and hurdles that were intended to deny care,” Emily Wales, President and CEO with Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said Wednesday evening.

Less than 24 hours after voters narrowly approved Amendment 3, the ACLU of Missouri, Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers filed a lawsuit seeking to take down decades worth of overlapping restrictions and bans on abortion on the books in Missouri.&nbsp;

There was no disagreement between Planned Parenthood and the Missouri Attorney General’s office that Amendment 3 makes unconstitutional the trigger law that went into effect in June 2022 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the right to abortion.&nbsp;

The disagreement instead revolves around more than a dozen “targeted regulation of abortion providers” laws, also known as TRAP laws, that previously made abortions all but inaccessible in Missouri prior to the total ban taking effect.

Planned Parenthood is asking a Jackson County judge to grant a preliminary injunction which would immediately declare the current ban and the TRAP laws&nbsp;unconstitutional.&nbsp;

“Every single day that Missourians cannot access their constitutional rights, they’re being denied critical care,” Wales said.

Solicitor General Josh Divine, who argued Wednesday’s hearing on behalf of the state,&nbsp; characterized the lawsuit as “unusually aggressive,” saying it would be more appropriate for the plaintiffs to challenge each TRAP law individually rather than all together “on a very short fuse.”&nbsp;

He added that preliminary injunctions should only be granted in “drastic, extraordinary circumstances.” The lawsuit at hand, he contended, does not apply because Missourians are still able to access abortion in Illinois to the east and Kansas to the west.

“Nobody’s actually going to be materially affected by what this court does,” Divine added.

A decade ago, more than 5,000 abortions were performed in Missouri, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.&nbsp;

By 2020, two years before the abortion ban went into effect, that number dropped to 167 as a result of the TRAP laws.&nbsp;

Sam Lee, a longtime Missouri anti-abortion activist and lobbyist, said he’s been pleased by the attorney general’s defense of Missouri’s anti-abortion laws.

If the TRAP laws remain in effect, as Lee is hoping, “it may severely affect Planned Parenthood’s ability to do abortions, because they weren’t doing abortions when those laws were in effect some years ago.”

Judge Jerri Zhang, who is overseeing the case, did not immediately rule on the injunction when the hearing concluded late Wednesday evening.&nbsp;

She did, however, deny the state’s request to remove Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker as a defendant and move the case to Cole County. Earlier this year, a Cole County judge&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/20/missouri-supreme-court-opinions-amendment-3-abortion/">struck Amendment 3 from the ballot,</a>&nbsp;a decision that was quickly overridden by the Missouri Court of Appeals.

The attorney general’s office said they plan to appeal Zhang’s decisions, arguing that Peters Baker does not appropriately represent all statewide prosecutors because of her previous statements in support of abortion rights.

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office also posed a court challenge to the Planned Parenthood suit.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Petition.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3370878" target="_blank">This latest lawsuit,</a>&nbsp;filed last week in Cole County, questions Planned Parenthood Great Plains’ ability to sue the state, claiming a 2010 settlement agreement prevents them from doing so.&nbsp;

For decades, Missouri legislators have passed laws restricting abortion access and regulating the procedure.&nbsp;

“The voters have now changed all of that,” Eleanor Spottswood, an attorney with Planned Parenthood, argued before the court Wednesday.

Amendment 3 states, in part, that “the right to reproductive freedom shall not be denied, interfered with, delayed, or otherwise restricted unless the government demonstrates that such action is justifiable by a compelling governmental interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”&nbsp;

The litigation challenges numerous current laws, including a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between an initial appointment and the abortion procedure; requirements that abortion clinics must have admitting privileges at a hospital roughly 15 minutes away; and a requirement that the same physician who initially saw the patient also perform the abortion.&nbsp;

The lawsuit is also challenging the current law criminalizing physicians who perform abortions.

Spottswood argued that a failure to immediately strike down the TRAP laws would cause “irreparable harm” to Missourians because “patients and providers have to do twice the work to access abortion.”

Meanwhile, the attorney general’s office argued that striking down such laws would cause more harm.&nbsp;

Divine on multiple occasions cited an<a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020687Orig1s025Lbl.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;FDA label for mifepristone</a>, one of two medications used to induce a medication abortion, that shows that according to two U.S. studies of about 1,00 women, up to 5% of women who took mifepristone ended up in the emergency room. It did not specify if the emergency room visits were necessary.&nbsp;

The same FDA label says that across three studies of more than 14,000 women who took mifepristone, fewer than 0.6% were admitted to the hospital as a result of the medication.

Divine also noted that no individual women seeking abortions were named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, arguing that’s because women don’t actually want abortions once given more information. He said this is why the state’s requirements that those seeking abortions first be given the state’s&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/families/womenshealth/pregnancyassistance/pdf/Mo.InformedConsentBooklet-Revisedpgs.12-15August2019jkOGCReviewed.pdf" target="_blank">informed consent booklet&nbsp;</a>should remain.&nbsp;

“It’s against their moral beliefs,” Divine said. “But they’re being pressured, often by an abusive partner, by parents, things of that nature, so what we’re trying to do is we’re trying to create a situation where those women can in fact make the choice that they want to do, and we know most of the time that’s childbirth.”&nbsp;

About&nbsp;<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-united-states#:~:text=Approximately%20one%20in%20four%20women,45%2C%20given%202020%20abortion%20rates.&amp;text=According%20to%20data%20from%20the,14%20weeks'%20gestation%20or%20later." target="_blank">one in four women in the United States have an abortion</a>&nbsp;before the age of 45, according to 2020 data. In 2021, around 94% of abortions occurred before 14 weeks gestation. Abortions later than 20 weeks&nbsp; account for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/abortions-later-in-pregnancy-in-a-post-dobbs-era/#:~:text=Abortions%20at%20or%20after%2021,require%20travel%20and%20lost%20wages." target="_blank">fewer than 1% of all abortions in the United States</a>, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Divine, in his final arguments Wednesday, characterized the state’s TRAP laws as incidental, much like speeding laws or road construction that could delay someone getting to an abortion. But he said the TRAP laws don’t fall under the strict scrutiny requirement and therefore don’t require an immediate ruling.

Zhang asked if delaying an abortion through the required 72-hour waiting period would infringe on a patient’s autonomy, especially if the patient was a day or two shy of 10 weeks gestation, when procedures switch from medication to surgical abortions.

Divine responded that the attorney general’s office believes Amendment 3 gives Missourians the right to an abortion, but doesn’t give them the right to a certain abortion procedure.&nbsp;

He also noted that Amendment 3 doesn’t specifically mention the legalization of mifepristone, alluding to future attempts by the incoming GOP administration to enforce the Comstock Act, an 1873 law that bans mailing obscene material, including for the use of abortion.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733401879071.png" alt=" Solicitor General Josh Divine called Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit seeking to unravel Missouri’s abortion restrictions “unusually aggressive” while speaking to media Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, outside the Jackson County Courthouse (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Solicitor General Josh Divine called Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit seeking to unravel Missouri’s abortion restrictions “unusually aggressive” while speaking to media Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, outside the Jackson County Courthouse (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The Missouri Attorney General’s Office argued that regulations like informed consent laws should remain because for most women, abortion is ‘against their moral beliefs’</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri’s trigger law banning nearly all abortions remains in place. But at 12:01 a.m. Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">Amendment 3&nbsp;</a>will go into effect.&nbsp;The constitutional amendment, which received 51.6% of the nearly 3 million votes cast, prohibits the legislature from regulating abortion prior to the point of fetal viability — generally seen as the point at which a fetus can likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary measures.Planned Parenthood officials said they have providers and staff prepared to start seeing patients for walk-in medication abortion appointments at three clinics — in Kansas City, St. Louis and Columbia —&nbsp;beginning Friday, followed later by scheduled surgical abortions.&nbsp;But whether that happens depends on the outcome of a lawsuit that had its first hearing before a Jackson County judge Wednesday morning.&nbsp;“What we don’t have are the abilities to overcome state restrictions and hurdles that were intended to deny care,” Emily Wales, President and CEO with Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said Wednesday evening.Less than 24 hours after voters narrowly approved Amendment 3, the ACLU of Missouri, Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers filed a lawsuit seeking to take down decades worth of overlapping restrictions and bans on abortion on the books in Missouri.&nbsp;There was no disagreement between Planned Parenthood and the Missouri Attorney General’s office that Amendment 3 makes unconstitutional the trigger law that went into effect in June 2022 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the right to abortion.&nbsp;The disagreement instead revolves around more than a dozen “targeted regulation of abortion providers” laws, also known as TRAP laws, that previously made abortions all but inaccessible in Missouri prior to the total ban taking effect.Planned Parenthood is asking a Jackson County judge to grant a preliminary injunction which would immediately declare the current ban and the TRAP laws&nbsp;unconstitutional.&nbsp;“Every single day that Missourians cannot access their constitutional rights, they’re being denied critical care,” Wales said.Solicitor General Josh Divine, who argued Wednesday’s hearing on behalf of the state,&nbsp; characterized the lawsuit as “unusually aggressive,” saying it would be more appropriate for the plaintiffs to challenge each TRAP law individually rather than all together “on a very short fuse.”&nbsp;He added that preliminary injunctions should only be granted in “drastic, extraordinary circumstances.” The lawsuit at hand, he contended, does not apply because Missourians are still able to access abortion in Illinois to the east and Kansas to the west.“Nobody’s actually going to be materially affected by what this court does,” Divine added.A decade ago, more than 5,000 abortions were performed in Missouri, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.&nbsp;By 2020, two years before the abortion ban went into effect, that number dropped to 167 as a result of the TRAP laws.&nbsp;Sam Lee, a longtime Missouri anti-abortion activist and lobbyist, said he’s been pleased by the attorney general’s defense of Missouri’s anti-abortion laws.If the TRAP laws remain in effect, as Lee is hoping, “it may severely affect Planned Parenthood’s ability to do abortions, because they weren’t doing abortions when those laws were in effect some years ago.”Judge Jerri Zhang, who is overseeing the case, did not immediately rule on the injunction when the hearing concluded late Wednesday evening.&nbsp;She did, however, deny the state’s request to remove Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker as a defendant and move the case to Cole County. Earlier this year, a Cole County judge&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/20/missouri-supreme-court-opinions-amendment-3-abortion/">struck Amendment 3 from the ballot,</a>&nbsp;a decision that was quickly overridden by the Missouri Court of Appeals.The attorney general’s office said they plan to appeal Zhang’s decisions, arguing that Peters Baker does not appropriately represent all statewide prosecutors because of her previous statements in support of abortion rights.The Missouri Attorney General’s Office also posed a court challenge to the Planned Parenthood suit.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Petition.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3370878" target="_blank">This latest lawsuit,</a>&nbsp;filed last week in Cole County, questions Planned Parenthood Great Plains’ ability to sue the state, claiming a 2010 settlement agreement prevents them from doing so.&nbsp;<h2>Missouri’s TRAP laws</h2>For decades, Missouri legislators have passed laws restricting abortion access and regulating the procedure.&nbsp;“The voters have now changed all of that,” Eleanor Spottswood, an attorney with Planned Parenthood, argued before the court Wednesday.Amendment 3 states, in part, that “the right to reproductive freedom shall not be denied, interfered with, delayed, or otherwise restricted unless the government demonstrates that such action is justifiable by a compelling governmental interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”&nbsp;The litigation challenges numerous current laws, including a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between an initial appointment and the abortion procedure; requirements that abortion clinics must have admitting privileges at a hospital roughly 15 minutes away; and a requirement that the same physician who initially saw the patient also perform the abortion.&nbsp;The lawsuit is also challenging the current law criminalizing physicians who perform abortions.Spottswood argued that a failure to immediately strike down the TRAP laws would cause “irreparable harm” to Missourians because “patients and providers have to do twice the work to access abortion.”Meanwhile, the attorney general’s office argued that striking down such laws would cause more harm.&nbsp;Divine on multiple occasions cited an<a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020687Orig1s025Lbl.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;FDA label for mifepristone</a>, one of two medications used to induce a medication abortion, that shows that according to two U.S. studies of about 1,00 women, up to 5% of women who took mifepristone ended up in the emergency room. It did not specify if the emergency room visits were necessary.&nbsp;The same FDA label says that across three studies of more than 14,000 women who took mifepristone, fewer than 0.6% were admitted to the hospital as a result of the medication.Divine also noted that no individual women seeking abortions were named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, arguing that’s because women don’t actually want abortions once given more information. He said this is why the state’s requirements that those seeking abortions first be given the state’s&nbsp;<a href="https://health.mo.gov/living/families/womenshealth/pregnancyassistance/pdf/Mo.InformedConsentBooklet-Revisedpgs.12-15August2019jkOGCReviewed.pdf" target="_blank">informed consent booklet&nbsp;</a>should remain.&nbsp;“It’s against their moral beliefs,” Divine said. “But they’re being pressured, often by an abusive partner, by parents, things of that nature, so what we’re trying to do is we’re trying to create a situation where those women can in fact make the choice that they want to do, and we know most of the time that’s childbirth.”&nbsp;About&nbsp;<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-united-states#:~:text=Approximately%20one%20in%20four%20women,45%2C%20given%202020%20abortion%20rates.&amp;text=According%20to%20data%20from%20the,14%20weeks'%20gestation%20or%20later." target="_blank">one in four women in the United States have an abortion</a>&nbsp;before the age of 45, according to 2020 data. In 2021, around 94% of abortions occurred before 14 weeks gestation. Abortions later than 20 weeks&nbsp; account for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/abortions-later-in-pregnancy-in-a-post-dobbs-era/#:~:text=Abortions%20at%20or%20after%2021,require%20travel%20and%20lost%20wages." target="_blank">fewer than 1% of all abortions in the United States</a>, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Divine, in his final arguments Wednesday, characterized the state’s TRAP laws as incidental, much like speeding laws or road construction that could delay someone getting to an abortion. But he said the TRAP laws don’t fall under the strict scrutiny requirement and therefore don’t require an immediate ruling.Zhang asked if delaying an abortion through the required 72-hour waiting period would infringe on a patient’s autonomy, especially if the patient was a day or two shy of 10 weeks gestation, when procedures switch from medication to surgical abortions.Divine responded that the attorney general’s office believes Amendment 3 gives Missourians the right to an abortion, but doesn’t give them the right to a certain abortion procedure.&nbsp;He also noted that Amendment 3 doesn’t specifically mention the legalization of mifepristone, alluding to future attempts by the incoming GOP administration to enforce the Comstock Act, an 1873 law that bans mailing obscene material, including for the use of abortion.

Judge could allow Planned Parenthood to begin performing abortions in Missouri Friday

GRUNDY COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just before 6a.m. Wednesday in Grundy County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Ford Ranger driven by a 32-year-old from Trenton, was westbound on MO 6 one mile west of Trenton.

The driver lost control of the pickup on the icy bridge. The pickup slid into the eastbound lanes and struck a 2023 Volvo semi driven by a 48-year-old man from Kansas City.&nbsp;

After impact the semi continued skidding east and jackknifed blocking both lanes of MO 6.&nbsp; A 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan driven by a 59-year-old man from Trenton to rear-ended the Ford Ranger.&nbsp; A 2018 Ford Eco Sport driven by a 25-year-old man from Trenton struck the semi.

EMS transported the driver of the Eco Sport and a 52-year-old passenger in the Dodge to Wright Memorial Hospital.&nbsp; All were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

GRUNDY COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just before 6a.m. Wednesday in Grundy County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Ford Ranger driven by a 32-year-old from Trenton, was westbound on MO 6 one mile west of Trenton.The driver lost control of the pickup on the icy bridge. The pickup slid into the eastbound lanes and struck a 2023 Volvo semi driven by a 48-year-old man from Kansas City.&nbsp;After impact the semi continued skidding east and jackknifed blocking both lanes of MO 6.&nbsp; A 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan driven by a 59-year-old man from Trenton to rear-ended the Ford Ranger.&nbsp; A 2018 Ford Eco Sport driven by a 25-year-old man from Trenton struck the semi.EMS transported the driver of the Eco Sport and a 52-year-old passenger in the Dodge to Wright Memorial Hospital.&nbsp; All were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

2 hospitalized after 4-vehicle crash on icy bridge

St. Joseph Central High School running back Gabe Fields is continuing his football career at Vanderbilt.   

It's been quite a turnaround for the Vanderbilt Commodores, who for the first time since 2018 became bowl eligible this year.  Next year Fields, a standout at Central, will be a part of that turnaround.  

Fields says he's excited to get to Nashville and help build the culture 

"You know I've had some experience of trying to build something, here at Central we were 1-9 at one point, so I'm just ready to get up there and put the work in and try to win a National Championship is the end goal," Fields tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post 

Fields, who received several division one offers, says it was the Commodores coaching staff he fell in love with 

"I knew one of the coaches really well, Ghaali Muhammad, so I really loved how he was doing things and where he was," Fields explains.  "And I also loved how they also focus on academics, the other side of life, because one day football is going to stop and I know that, but with a Vanderbilt degree you can do anything you want." 

Muhammed-Lankford was a standout himself at Central, graduating from Wyoming after playing football on both offense and defense. 

Fields had offers from multiple Division 1 programs, Iowa State, Baylor, Navy, Air Force, Harvard, Cornell, Penn, Yale, UNLV, Toledo, and Kent State were just some of the schools that wanted Fields. 

While he doesn't know if he'll play right away, Fields has some lofty goals.  

"My goal personally is to be a Freshman All American, but we'll see how everything shakes out," Fields says. 

Fields, ranked as the number 22 prospect from Missouri in the 2025 class by 247 Sports, says being a division one commit from St. Joseph is a great feeling, and says it shows that you can accomplish your dreams from wherever 

"And that you don't have to leave your hometown just to go chase a different dream, you can do it all where you're at," Fields says.  "I mean you've got everything you need, you've got your family around you, you've got your teammates, people you've grown up with, and you can also show the youth that it don't matter where you start, it's just all about how you finish quite honestly." 

Fields in his senior season at Central compiled 1,806 all-purpose yards with 20 total touchdowns. 

Fields says he will major in business management.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733346507784.jpeg" alt="Central running back Gabe Fields signed his NLI to continue playing football for the Vanderbilt Commodores/ Photo courtesy of Brett Kennedy KQTV" />
 <figcaption>Central running back Gabe Fields signed his NLI to continue playing football for the Vanderbilt Commodores/ Photo courtesy of Brett Kennedy KQTV</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post St. Joseph Central High School running back Gabe Fields is continuing his football career at Vanderbilt. It's been quite a turnaround for the Vanderbilt Commodores, who for the first time since 2018 became bowl eligible this year. Next year Fields, a standout at Central, will be a part of that turnaround. Fields says he's excited to get to Nashville and help build the culture "You know I've had some experience of trying to build something, here at Central we were 1-9 at one point, so I'm just ready to get up there and put the work in and try to win a National Championship is the end goal," Fields tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post Fields, who received several division one offers, says it was the Commodores coaching staff he fell in love with "I knew one of the coaches really well, Ghaali Muhammad, so I really loved how he was doing things and where he was," Fields explains. "And I also loved how they also focus on academics, the other side of life, because one day football is going to stop and I know that, but with a Vanderbilt degree you can do anything you want." Muhammed-Lankford was a standout himself at Central, graduating from Wyoming after playing football on both offense and defense. Fields had offers from multiple Division 1 programs, Iowa State, Baylor, Navy, Air Force, Harvard, Cornell, Penn, Yale, UNLV, Toledo, and Kent State were just some of the schools that wanted Fields. While he doesn't know if he'll play right away, Fields has some lofty goals. "My goal personally is to be a Freshman All American, but we'll see how everything shakes out," Fields says. Fields, ranked as the number 22 prospect from Missouri in the 2025 class by 247 Sports, says being a division one commit from St. Joseph is a great feeling, and says it shows that you can accomplish your dreams from wherever "And that you don't have to leave your hometown just to go chase a different dream, you can do it all where you're at," Fields says. "I mean you've got everything you need, you've got your family around you, you've got your teammates, people you've grown up with, and you can also show the youth that it don't matter where you start, it's just all about how you finish quite honestly." Fields in his senior season at Central compiled 1,806 all-purpose yards with 20 total touchdowns. Fields says he will major in business management.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp;<div><iframe src="https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Full-interview-Gabe-Fields-signs-with-Vanderbil-e2rt3se/a-ablqkof" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Signed 🖋️ Welcome to Commodore Nation, <a href="https://twitter.com/Gabefields31?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Gabefields31</a> <a href="https://t.co/fQgFlKMSid">pic.twitter.com/fQgFlKMSid</a>&mdash; Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/VandyFootball/status/1864390819500978441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

St. Joseph Central HS running back Gabe Fields signs with Vanderbilt

Eagle Days is happening this weekend at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge near Mound City.  

Refuge Manager William Kutosky says the event is a wonderful time for wildlife observation, and not just eagles but several ducks and geese as well 

"We're going to potentially have hundreds of thousands of ducks and geese to view from our 10 mile auditory loop on the refuge, and kids that have never had an opportunity to see wild water fowl or eagles can get up close and personal and get behind a spotting scope with a biologist and see an eagle out there on the wetlands in their natural environment," Kutosky tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. 

The event will also feature several displays and hands-on activities for visitors to Loess Bluffs.  Kutosky says one of the attractions during eagle days will be a live eagle show, with three breeds of eagles 

"They will be bringing an adult bald eagle, an adult golden eagle, and then a South American species an adult harpy eagle, so you get to see three different eagles up close and personal," Kutosky explains.  "I've seen quite a few different live eagle shows in my life and this is hands down one of the best, they do a phenomenal job." 

The live eagle show will be presented by the World Bird Sanctuary from near St. Louis in the Visitors Center at the refuge, every hour on the hour. 

Kutosky says the event is one of the best across the country to get up close and personal with a large number of eagles 

"It's a great opportunity to bring out kids and family, a completely free event, and just a great family experience for folks," Kutosky says.  "So, I highly recommend it if you're in the St. Joseph area, we even get a lot of visitors from Kansas City regularly and Omaha, so not a bad drive." 

Eagle Days will be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday.  On Friday, the refuge will host area schools for guided bus tours around Loess Bluffs. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733333312055.jpeg" alt="Bald_Eagle_prey.JPG" />
 <figcaption>Bald_Eagle_prey.JPG</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Eagle Days is happening this weekend at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge near Mound City. Refuge Manager William Kutosky says the event is a wonderful time for wildlife observation, and not just eagles but several ducks and geese as well "We're going to potentially have hundreds of thousands of ducks and geese to view from our 10 mile auditory loop on the refuge, and kids that have never had an opportunity to see wild water fowl or eagles can get up close and personal and get behind a spotting scope with a biologist and see an eagle out there on the wetlands in their natural environment," Kutosky tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. The event will also feature several displays and hands-on activities for visitors to Loess Bluffs. Kutosky says one of the attractions during eagle days will be a live eagle show, with three breeds of eagles "They will be bringing an adult bald eagle, an adult golden eagle, and then a South American species an adult harpy eagle, so you get to see three different eagles up close and personal," Kutosky explains. "I've seen quite a few different live eagle shows in my life and this is hands down one of the best, they do a phenomenal job." The live eagle show will be presented by the World Bird Sanctuary from near St. Louis in the Visitors Center at the refuge, every hour on the hour. Kutosky says the event is one of the best across the country to get up close and personal with a large number of eagles "It's a great opportunity to bring out kids and family, a completely free event, and just a great family experience for folks," Kutosky says. "So, I highly recommend it if you're in the St. Joseph area, we even get a lot of visitors from Kansas City regularly and Omaha, so not a bad drive." Eagle Days will be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday. On Friday, the refuge will host area schools for guided bus tours around Loess Bluffs. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733333368478.jpeg" alt="Bald_EagleII.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Bald_EagleII.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>

Want to see a bald eagle up close and personal? Here's your chance at Eagle Days

The search for the next St. Joseph school superintendent has
entered its final phase.

The St. Joseph School District reports 25 candidates have
applied by the first of this month; 10 from outside the state.

The St. Joseph School Board will review the candidates and
chose semi-finalists during an executive session this afternoon. Semi-finalists will participate
in screening interviews on the 12th with finalists taking part in
formal interviews on the 17th.

Superintendent Gabe Edgar announced his plan to retire at the end of the school year earlier.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostThe search for the next St. Joseph school superintendent has
entered its final phase.The St. Joseph School District reports 25 candidates have
applied by the first of this month; 10 from outside the state.The St. Joseph School Board will review the candidates and
chose semi-finalists during an executive session this afternoon. Semi-finalists will participate
in screening interviews on the 12th with finalists taking part in
formal interviews on the 17th.Superintendent Gabe Edgar announced his plan to retire at the end of the school year earlier.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Search for next St. Joseph school superintendent enters final stretch

A
28-year-old St. Joseph man faces several charges after allegedly injuring a St.
Joseph police officer while fleeing in a vehicle from a fight with another man
very early Tuesday morning.

Tyler
Allan Armstrong has been charged with aggravated fleeing a stop, driving while
intoxicated leading to physical injury, and third-degree assault.

St.
Joseph police say officers responded to break up a fight in the 1000 block of Corby Street when Armstrong jumped in a car and fled the scene.
Armstrong struck two patrol cars, injuring an officer in one of the cars.
Officers pursued. The pursuit ended when Armstrong crashed into a parked car at
9th and Church where he was arrested.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733330616696.jpeg" alt="Tyler Allan Armstrong/Buchanan County Sheriff's Office photo" />
 <figcaption>Tyler Allan Armstrong/Buchanan County Sheriff's Office photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA
28-year-old St. Joseph man faces several charges after allegedly injuring a St.
Joseph police officer while fleeing in a vehicle from a fight with another man
very early Tuesday morning.Tyler
Allan Armstrong has been charged with aggravated fleeing a stop, driving while
intoxicated leading to physical injury, and third-degree assault.St.
Joseph police say officers responded to break up a fight in the 1000 block of Corby Street when Armstrong jumped in a car and fled the scene.
Armstrong struck two patrol cars, injuring an officer in one of the cars.
Officers pursued. The pursuit ended when Armstrong crashed into a parked car at
9th and Church where he was arrested.Armstrong
is being held without bond.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

St. Joseph man charged for hitting patrol car, injuring officer

Military families struggling to find weekend child care have a
few more options.

A federally subsidized program run by Upwards has expanded
child care for military families.

Upwards provides subsidies and even business advice to child
care providers which serve military families looking for child care during drill
weekends.

Upwards Program Director, Lilly Alexander, says military
families face difficulties in finding child care others don’t face.

“So, this program in particular is for weekend care,”
Alexander tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So, when the Reserve and the Guard go
off on drills, battle assemblies, and emergency deployments weekend care is particularly
difficult to find. And we’ve been able to help child care providers expand
their hours of operation so that they can meet these specific weekend needs of
military families.”

A key to the program, according to Alexander, is that Upwards
can guarantee reimbursement to child care providers within two business days,
rather than the 30-to-90-day lag of some reimbursement programs.

“The state of Missouri we are aware there’s a crisis going on
where providers haven’t been paid for months,” Alexander points out. “So, when
we can guarantee that we can pay providers within two business days, they are
very excited to support military families with these specific weekend child
care needs.”

Missouri state officials say a computer glitch caused the delay
in payments and that a solution is being worked out.

Not only does Upwards provide financial incentive for child
care providers to open their doors on the weekend, the company also consults
with providers on the best way to run their business, such as streamlining
processes to become more efficient.

“And when child care providers can operate their businesses
more efficiently, then that makes an impact on the cost for families,” Alexander
says.

Alexander encourages interested military families to visit the
Upwards website by clicking <a href="https://upwards.com/benefits/military">HERE</a>.

You can also call Upwards at 816-670-3286 or email the company:&nbsp; <a href="mailto:heroes@upwards.com">heroes@upwards.com</a>.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostMilitary families struggling to find weekend child care have a
few more options.A federally subsidized program run by Upwards has expanded
child care for military families.Upwards provides subsidies and even business advice to child
care providers which serve military families looking for child care during drill
weekends.Upwards Program Director, Lilly Alexander, says military
families face difficulties in finding child care others don’t face.“So, this program in particular is for weekend care,”
Alexander tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So, when the Reserve and the Guard go
off on drills, battle assemblies, and emergency deployments weekend care is particularly
difficult to find. And we’ve been able to help child care providers expand
their hours of operation so that they can meet these specific weekend needs of
military families.”A key to the program, according to Alexander, is that Upwards
can guarantee reimbursement to child care providers within two business days,
rather than the 30-to-90-day lag of some reimbursement programs.“The state of Missouri we are aware there’s a crisis going on
where providers haven’t been paid for months,” Alexander points out. “So, when
we can guarantee that we can pay providers within two business days, they are
very excited to support military families with these specific weekend child
care needs.”Missouri state officials say a computer glitch caused the delay
in payments and that a solution is being worked out.Not only does Upwards provide financial incentive for child
care providers to open their doors on the weekend, the company also consults
with providers on the best way to run their business, such as streamlining
processes to become more efficient.“And when child care providers can operate their businesses
more efficiently, then that makes an impact on the cost for families,” Alexander
says.Alexander encourages interested military families to visit the
Upwards website by clicking <a href="https://upwards.com/benefits/military">HERE</a>.You can also call Upwards at 816-670-3286 or email the company:&nbsp; <a href="mailto:heroes@upwards.com">heroes@upwards.com</a>.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Program seeks to help military families with weekend child care

On Wednesday, a Jackson County judge will hear Planned Parenthood’s attempt to overturn a number of laws regulating abortion. Meanwhile, several legislators have already filed bills hoping to reinstate an abortion ban

On the eve of a Wednesday hearing seeking to strike down most Missouri abortion restrictions, GOP lawmakers and anti-abortion activists assembled outside five Planned Parenthood clinics around the state to call on the courts to leave abortion regulations in place.

At the same time, Republican lawmakers have begun filing some of their first pieces of legislation aimed at weakening or overturning Amendment 3, which was narrowly approved by voters last month and enshrines the right to reproductive health care in the state constitution.

The constitutional amendment, which received<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/missouri/?r=83071" target="_blank">&nbsp;51.6% of the nearly 3 million votes</a>&nbsp;cast, goes into effect Thursday. It prohibits the legislature from regulating abortion prior to the point of fetal viability — generally seen as the point at which a fetus can likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary measures.

Already, at least 11 lawmaker-proposed amendments have been prefiled seeking to reverse Amendment 3 through another vote of the people.&nbsp;&nbsp;

One such bill, filed by Republican state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman of Arnold, would ask voters to ban gender-affirming surgeries for minors and all abortions with exceptions for medical emergencies and rape.

“Missouri families deserve clarity and compassion in our laws when it comes to protecting

women and safeguarding innocent life like our children from danger,” Coleman said in a statement Tuesday. “These constitutional amendments align with the beliefs of the majority of Missourians when it comes to supporting the dignity and value of all life.”&nbsp;

State Rep. Justin Sparks, a Wildwood Republican, is proposing his own version of a repeal amendment. He said he was inspired to take action by Amendment 3’s close margin of victory.&nbsp;

Sparks’ proposed constitutional amendment would define a “person” as “every human being with a unique DNA code regardless of age, including every in utero human child at every stage of biological development from the moment of conception until birth.”

State Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican, filed a proposed amendment similar to Coleman’s, but one that also included abortion exceptions for fetal anomalies. It would limit abortions in the cases of rape or incest to the first 20 weeks of pregnancy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=412" target="_blank">and only if the victim filed a police report.&nbsp;</a>

Such requirements have been widely-criticized in other states, with victim advocates calling such reporting requirements&nbsp;<a href="https://victimrights.org/2023/04/14/abortion-care-is-central-to-rape-survivors-reclaiming-their-power/" target="_blank">harmful to survivors.</a>

But on Tuesday, standing outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Kansas City with other anti-abortion activists, Brattin said his immediate focus was appealing to the courts to uphold the state’s current “targeted regulation of abortion providers” laws, which previously made it all but impossible for doctors to provide abortions in Missouri.&nbsp;

The laws, enacted over the last several years by the legislature, include a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between the initial appointment and a surgical abortion, mandatory pelvic exams for medication abortions and requirements that providers report all abortions to the state.&nbsp;

“That’s going to be first and foremost, making sure that if they’re operating, they’re operating at the highest level of standard of care,” Brattin said.

Less than 24 hours after Amendment 3 was approved by voters, the ACLU, Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers announced a lawsuit seeking to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/06/missouri-abortion-access-planned-parenthood-lawsuit-amendment-3/">strike down several of these TRAP laws</a>.&nbsp;

The first hearing in the case is set to take place Wednesday afternoon in Jackson County.&nbsp;

The Missouri Secretary of State’s office filed a motion requesting the proceedings be moved to Cole County. Earlier this year, a Cole County judge&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/20/missouri-supreme-court-opinions-amendment-3-abortion/">struck Amendment 3 from the ballot,</a>&nbsp;a decision that was quickly overridden by the Missouri Court of Appeals.

Planned Parenthood leadership has said they hope a quick decision from the judge will allow them to start performing abortions at three health centers across the state —&nbsp;Columbia, the Central West End in St. Louis and the Midtown neighborhood of Kansas City —&nbsp;as soon as the new amendment goes into effect.

“Abortion is safe and a very common healthcare procedure,” Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, which operates the St. Louis clinics, said in a statement Tuesday. “We know that Missourians across the political spectrum support access to this life-saving care, but anti-abortion extremists are again resorting to false, tired, and previously litigated scare tactics, trying to subvert the will of the people and keep abortion banned.”

<a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24950/the-safety-and-quality-of-abortion-care-in-the-united-states" target="_blank">A 2018 study</a>&nbsp;by the&nbsp;National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine&nbsp;concluded that abortion complications are rare, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/key-facts-on-abortion-in-the-united-states/#:~:text=Studies%20on%20procedural%20abortions%2C%20which,complications%20of%20less%20than%201%25." target="_blank">complications during childbirth remain more common</a>.

Outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis’ Central West End, Brian Westbrook, executive director of Coalition Life, called for the TRAP laws to remain in place “to make sure that women do not go into a place like this and leave in an ambulance headed to the hospital.”

“We stand here today with real, clear evidence that Planned Parenthood is not safe for women and requires serious oversight and inspections, not immunity,” he said.

Westbrook also referenced a 2018 health inspection report that determined equipment in the Columbia clinic included tubing that contained “black mold and bodily fluid.” Planned Parenthood officials later said the equipment had been replaced and the issue resolved.

The Columbia health center&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/10/03/654030995/one-abortion-clinic-remains-open-in-missouri-following-new-state-requirements" target="_blank">ended the procedure in fall 2018</a>&nbsp;when it could no longer meet a state requirement that doctors performing abortions have admitting privileges at a hospital no more than 15 minutes from the clinic and the clinic’s license expired. After that, until the U.S. Supreme Court decision to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/06/24/abortion-is-now-illegal-in-missouri-in-wake-of-u-s-supreme-court-ruling/">overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022,</a>&nbsp;only one Planned Parenthood clinic in Missouri, located in St. Louis, continued to perform abortions.

The St. Louis clinic temporarily lost its licensure as well until May 2020, when then-Missouri Administrative Hearing Commissioner Sreenivasa Rao Dandamudi<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article243089401.html" target="_blank">&nbsp;ruled that the state health department had to re-issue the license</a>.

“​​Planned Parenthood has demonstrated that it provides safe and legal abortion care,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/uploads/filer_public/98/18/9818b15d-4ecd-4281-bb30-620c5ea9e567/19-0879.pdf" target="_blank">Dandamudi’s ruling concluded.</a>&nbsp;“In over 4,000 abortions provided since 2018, the Department has only identified two causes to deny its license.”

Westbrook ended Tuesday’s press conference saying he is hopeful the Trump administration will enforce the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/21/missouri-senate-race-abortion-hawley-kunce/">Comstock Act,&nbsp;</a>an&nbsp;1873 law that bans the mailing of obscene material, including medications used for abortion.

He also said he supports Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s efforts to hold Planned Parenthood accountable.&nbsp;

The Missouri Attorney General’s office recently posed a court challenge to the Planned Parenthood suit.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Petition.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3370878" target="_blank">The latest lawsuit,</a>&nbsp;filed Wednesday in Cole County, questions Planned Parenthood Great Plains’ ability to sue, claiming a 2010 settlement agreement prevents them from doing so.&nbsp;

Bailey, in a recent<a href="https://ago.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/22-2024.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;official opinion from his office</a>, argued that while Missouri statutes prohibiting abortion prior to fetal viability will no longer be enforceable in their entirety,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/27/missouri-attorney-general-andrew-bailey-amendment-3-enforcement/">the state can still enforce other laws on the books related to abortion.</a>

“In a contest where the ‘yes’ side was able in effect to rewrite the ballot summary language, received<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/29/missouri-abortion-amendment-3-fundraising-election/">&nbsp;tens of millions of dollars</a>&nbsp;in funding from out of state, and outspent the ‘no’ side 6 to 0,” Bailey wrote, “This tight margin suggests the result may be very different if a future constitutional amendment is put up for a vote.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733311945101.png" alt="State Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican, protests outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Kansas City on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, ahead of a hearing in a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood seeking to overturn the state’s TRAP laws (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican, protests outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Kansas City on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, ahead of a hearing in a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood seeking to overturn the state’s TRAP laws (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>On Wednesday, a Jackson County judge will hear Planned Parenthood’s attempt to overturn a number of laws regulating abortion. Meanwhile, several legislators have already filed bills hoping to reinstate an abortion ban</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>On the eve of a Wednesday hearing seeking to strike down most Missouri abortion restrictions, GOP lawmakers and anti-abortion activists assembled outside five Planned Parenthood clinics around the state to call on the courts to leave abortion regulations in place.At the same time, Republican lawmakers have begun filing some of their first pieces of legislation aimed at weakening or overturning Amendment 3, which was narrowly approved by voters last month and enshrines the right to reproductive health care in the state constitution.The constitutional amendment, which received<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/missouri/?r=83071" target="_blank">&nbsp;51.6% of the nearly 3 million votes</a>&nbsp;cast, goes into effect Thursday. It prohibits the legislature from regulating abortion prior to the point of fetal viability — generally seen as the point at which a fetus can likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary measures.Already, at least 11 lawmaker-proposed amendments have been prefiled seeking to reverse Amendment 3 through another vote of the people.&nbsp;&nbsp;One such bill, filed by Republican state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman of Arnold, would ask voters to ban gender-affirming surgeries for minors and all abortions with exceptions for medical emergencies and rape.“Missouri families deserve clarity and compassion in our laws when it comes to protectingwomen and safeguarding innocent life like our children from danger,” Coleman said in a statement Tuesday. “These constitutional amendments align with the beliefs of the majority of Missourians when it comes to supporting the dignity and value of all life.”&nbsp;State Rep. Justin Sparks, a Wildwood Republican, is proposing his own version of a repeal amendment. He said he was inspired to take action by Amendment 3’s close margin of victory.&nbsp;Sparks’ proposed constitutional amendment would define a “person” as “every human being with a unique DNA code regardless of age, including every in utero human child at every stage of biological development from the moment of conception until birth.”State Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican, filed a proposed amendment similar to Coleman’s, but one that also included abortion exceptions for fetal anomalies. It would limit abortions in the cases of rape or incest to the first 20 weeks of pregnancy&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=412" target="_blank">and only if the victim filed a police report.&nbsp;</a>Such requirements have been widely-criticized in other states, with victim advocates calling such reporting requirements&nbsp;<a href="https://victimrights.org/2023/04/14/abortion-care-is-central-to-rape-survivors-reclaiming-their-power/" target="_blank">harmful to survivors.</a>But on Tuesday, standing outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Kansas City with other anti-abortion activists, Brattin said his immediate focus was appealing to the courts to uphold the state’s current “targeted regulation of abortion providers” laws, which previously made it all but impossible for doctors to provide abortions in Missouri.&nbsp;The laws, enacted over the last several years by the legislature, include a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between the initial appointment and a surgical abortion, mandatory pelvic exams for medication abortions and requirements that providers report all abortions to the state.&nbsp;“That’s going to be first and foremost, making sure that if they’re operating, they’re operating at the highest level of standard of care,” Brattin said.Less than 24 hours after Amendment 3 was approved by voters, the ACLU, Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers announced a lawsuit seeking to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/06/missouri-abortion-access-planned-parenthood-lawsuit-amendment-3/">strike down several of these TRAP laws</a>.&nbsp;The first hearing in the case is set to take place Wednesday afternoon in Jackson County.&nbsp;The Missouri Secretary of State’s office filed a motion requesting the proceedings be moved to Cole County. Earlier this year, a Cole County judge&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/20/missouri-supreme-court-opinions-amendment-3-abortion/">struck Amendment 3 from the ballot,</a>&nbsp;a decision that was quickly overridden by the Missouri Court of Appeals.Planned Parenthood leadership has said they hope a quick decision from the judge will allow them to start performing abortions at three health centers across the state —&nbsp;Columbia, the Central West End in St. Louis and the Midtown neighborhood of Kansas City —&nbsp;as soon as the new amendment goes into effect.“Abortion is safe and a very common healthcare procedure,” Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, which operates the St. Louis clinics, said in a statement Tuesday. “We know that Missourians across the political spectrum support access to this life-saving care, but anti-abortion extremists are again resorting to false, tired, and previously litigated scare tactics, trying to subvert the will of the people and keep abortion banned.”<a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24950/the-safety-and-quality-of-abortion-care-in-the-united-states" target="_blank">A 2018 study</a>&nbsp;by the&nbsp;National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine&nbsp;concluded that abortion complications are rare, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/key-facts-on-abortion-in-the-united-states/#:~:text=Studies%20on%20procedural%20abortions%2C%20which,complications%20of%20less%20than%201%25." target="_blank">complications during childbirth remain more common</a>.Outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis’ Central West End, Brian Westbrook, executive director of Coalition Life, called for the TRAP laws to remain in place “to make sure that women do not go into a place like this and leave in an ambulance headed to the hospital.”“We stand here today with real, clear evidence that Planned Parenthood is not safe for women and requires serious oversight and inspections, not immunity,” he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733311589200.png" alt="Kendyl Underwood, a 20-year-old Saint Louis University student, sits outside of the Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis on June 24, 2022 after the release of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade (Tessa Weinberg/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Kendyl Underwood, a 20-year-old Saint Louis University student, sits outside of the Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis on June 24, 2022 after the release of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade (Tessa Weinberg/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Westbrook also referenced a 2018 health inspection report that determined equipment in the Columbia clinic included tubing that contained “black mold and bodily fluid.” Planned Parenthood officials later said the equipment had been replaced and the issue resolved.The Columbia health center&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/10/03/654030995/one-abortion-clinic-remains-open-in-missouri-following-new-state-requirements" target="_blank">ended the procedure in fall 2018</a>&nbsp;when it could no longer meet a state requirement that doctors performing abortions have admitting privileges at a hospital no more than 15 minutes from the clinic and the clinic’s license expired. After that, until the U.S. Supreme Court decision to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/06/24/abortion-is-now-illegal-in-missouri-in-wake-of-u-s-supreme-court-ruling/">overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022,</a>&nbsp;only one Planned Parenthood clinic in Missouri, located in St. Louis, continued to perform abortions.The St. Louis clinic temporarily lost its licensure as well until May 2020, when then-Missouri Administrative Hearing Commissioner Sreenivasa Rao Dandamudi<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article243089401.html" target="_blank">&nbsp;ruled that the state health department had to re-issue the license</a>.“​​Planned Parenthood has demonstrated that it provides safe and legal abortion care,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/uploads/filer_public/98/18/9818b15d-4ecd-4281-bb30-620c5ea9e567/19-0879.pdf" target="_blank">Dandamudi’s ruling concluded.</a>&nbsp;“In over 4,000 abortions provided since 2018, the Department has only identified two causes to deny its license.”Westbrook ended Tuesday’s press conference saying he is hopeful the Trump administration will enforce the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/21/missouri-senate-race-abortion-hawley-kunce/">Comstock Act,&nbsp;</a>an&nbsp;1873 law that bans the mailing of obscene material, including medications used for abortion.He also said he supports Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s efforts to hold Planned Parenthood accountable.&nbsp;The Missouri Attorney General’s office recently posed a court challenge to the Planned Parenthood suit.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Petition.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3370878" target="_blank">The latest lawsuit,</a>&nbsp;filed Wednesday in Cole County, questions Planned Parenthood Great Plains’ ability to sue, claiming a 2010 settlement agreement prevents them from doing so.&nbsp;Bailey, in a recent<a href="https://ago.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/22-2024.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;official opinion from his office</a>, argued that while Missouri statutes prohibiting abortion prior to fetal viability will no longer be enforceable in their entirety,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/27/missouri-attorney-general-andrew-bailey-amendment-3-enforcement/">the state can still enforce other laws on the books related to abortion.</a>“In a contest where the ‘yes’ side was able in effect to rewrite the ballot summary language, received<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/29/missouri-abortion-amendment-3-fundraising-election/">&nbsp;tens of millions of dollars</a>&nbsp;in funding from out of state, and outspent the ‘no’ side 6 to 0,” Bailey wrote, “This tight margin suggests the result may be very different if a future constitutional amendment is put up for a vote.”

Anti-abortion lawmakers, activists call on Missouri court to rule against Planned Parenthood

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rebecca-rivas/">REBECCA RIVAS</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Flora Farms took more than 3,000 Zen-brand cannabis gummy products off the shelves last month, after state regulators received a complaint the food-coloring ingredient wasn’t listed on the label.

The food coloring is not a banned ingredient, said Sami Jo Freeman, spokeswoman for the Division of Cannabis Regulation, and the Flora Farms manufacturing facility in Springfield that’s the target of the product recall doesn’t have to stop using it.

“Food coloring must be disclosed in the ingredient list in order to be used in a product,” she said. “This helps consumers know that if they have an allergy to it, that they should not consume that product.”

Only one adverse reaction was reported, she said. The consumer reported the reaction did not require hospitalization, but Freeman said she could not provide the consumer complaint to protect the person’s privacy.

The problem wasn’t caught during the extensive review process required under the new recreational marijuana rules.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

As of Sept. 1, marijuana manufacturers must now package and label all products in division-approved designs before sending them to a dispensary.&nbsp;

But catching this type of error is not what the pre-approval process was intended for, Freeman said.&nbsp;

“Verification of whether information is accurate occurs through other processes, such as inspections, complaints and investigations,” Freeman said.&nbsp;

The review process for packaging and labeling, she said, is to ensure that all types of required information are included on the package.&nbsp;

And it’s also to make sure the numerous prohibited things – such as excessive colors, depictions of candy or cartoon characters – stay off.&nbsp;

When voters passed the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=XIV%20%20%202&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;to legalize recreational marijuana in 2022, it included a provision that labels and packaging for marijuana-related products, “shall not be made to be attractive to children.”

Missouri is now a<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/22/missouri-to-be-testing-ground-on-plain-packaging-for-cannabis-products/">&nbsp;testing ground</a>&nbsp;to see if plain packaging for recreational marijuana will meet this constitutional mandate. Under new state rules, packaging can only be one primary color, and it can have up to two logos or symbols that can be a different color or several different colors.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733259188705.png" alt="photo Zen-brand&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>photo Zen-brand&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rebecca-rivas/">REBECCA RIVAS</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Flora Farms took more than 3,000 Zen-brand cannabis gummy products off the shelves last month, after state regulators received a complaint the food-coloring ingredient wasn’t listed on the label.The food coloring is not a banned ingredient, said Sami Jo Freeman, spokeswoman for the Division of Cannabis Regulation, and the Flora Farms manufacturing facility in Springfield that’s the target of the product recall doesn’t have to stop using it.“Food coloring must be disclosed in the ingredient list in order to be used in a product,” she said. “This helps consumers know that if they have an allergy to it, that they should not consume that product.”Only one adverse reaction was reported, she said. The consumer reported the reaction did not require hospitalization, but Freeman said she could not provide the consumer complaint to protect the person’s privacy.The problem wasn’t caught during the extensive review process required under the new recreational marijuana rules.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As of Sept. 1, marijuana manufacturers must now package and label all products in division-approved designs before sending them to a dispensary.&nbsp;But catching this type of error is not what the pre-approval process was intended for, Freeman said.&nbsp;“Verification of whether information is accurate occurs through other processes, such as inspections, complaints and investigations,” Freeman said.&nbsp;The review process for packaging and labeling, she said, is to ensure that all types of required information are included on the package.&nbsp;And it’s also to make sure the numerous prohibited things – such as excessive colors, depictions of candy or cartoon characters – stay off.&nbsp;When voters passed the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=XIV%20%20%202&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;to legalize recreational marijuana in 2022, it included a provision that labels and packaging for marijuana-related products, “shall not be made to be attractive to children.”Missouri is now a<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/22/missouri-to-be-testing-ground-on-plain-packaging-for-cannabis-products/">&nbsp;testing ground</a>&nbsp;to see if plain packaging for recreational marijuana will meet this constitutional mandate. Under new state rules, packaging can only be one primary color, and it can have up to two logos or symbols that can be a different color or several different colors.&nbsp;Mark Hendren,&nbsp;president of Flora Farms cannabis company, said the facility has addressed the labeling issue.&nbsp;“DCR requested that Zen labels more specifically identify the food coloring used,” he said. “So that’s what we have done.”

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