The annual pep
rally for the Kansas City Chiefs, officially welcoming the team back to St.
Joseph for Training Camp, will be held Sunday afternoon at Civic Center Park.

St. Joseph Chamber
of Commerce spokesperson, Kristi Bailey, says St. Joseph businesses benefit
greatly from the annual training camp that attracts Chiefs fans from all over.

“The gas stations,
the restaurants, the businesses close to Missouri Western, they benefit. We do
have some visitors that come from out of state that stay in hotels, that make a
little vacation out of training camp,” Bailey tells KFEQmmunity. “So, we do
have some businesses that do benefit from training camp as well.”

Bailey says St.
Joseph also benefits greatly from the notoriety it receives from national
reports on the Chiefs from training camp on the Missouri Western State
University campus.

Bailey says the
Red Rally begins at noon at Civic Center Park, located at City Hall, and runs
through four o’clock with a festive atmosphere celebrating the return of
Chiefs.

“So, this is a way
that a lot of our community partners work together to show the Chiefs just how
excited we are to have them come back year after year,” Bailey says.

A DJ will begin
the “pre-rally” at noon. Country artist, Blane Howard, performs at 1:30pm. The
voice of the Chiefs, Mitch Holthus, and KC Wolf kick off the official rally
with the return of Tech N9ne at 3pm.

There will be
games for the children and food vendors. Residents are encouraged to begin lawn
chairs.

Bailey says the
event is the city’s way of showing appreciation to the Chiefs.

“We put out our
banners and we put out our yard signs,” Bailey says. “But having this big
community event really shows them that the community is behind them and we want
to thank them for coming,” 

Bailey says the
city prides itself on being the home of Chiefs Training Camp.

“So, it’s
important for us to show the Chiefs organization just how much St. Joseph loves
the Chiefs.”

The city reminds
residents two streets bordering Civic Center Park will be closed during Red
Rally. Francis Street will be closed from just east of 10th Street
to 12th Street, and North 12th Street will be closed from
Francis to Jules from 7pm on Saturday to 9am on Monday.

St.
Joseph Public works department will be placing no parking signs along the
streets on Thursday afternoon to prepare for the closure. Drivers still will be
able to access the parking lot of the Wesley Senior Towers apartment building
during the street closure. 

You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

St. Joseph celebrates Chiefs Training Camp at Red Rally Sunday

September corn closed down 1 3/4 cents and December corn was down 3/4 cents. August soybeans closed down 4 1/4 cents and November soybeans were down 4 1/4 cents. September KC wheat closed down 4 cents, September Chicago wheat was down 4 1/2 cents, September Minneapolis wheat was up 1/2 cents.

September corn closed down 9 cents and December corn was down 8 3/4 cents. August soybeans closed down 29 cents and November soybeans were down 14 3/4 cents. September KC wheat closed down 2 1/2 cents, September Chicago wheat was down 8 cents and September Minneapolis wheat was down 10 3/4 cents.

Friday's session marked a quiet close to an overall dull week of trade which saw most crop prices drift lower, giving back roughly half of last week's gains in the process as traders clearly are seeing little urgency at this point to commit to sustained buying. Traders currently are betting friendly growing weather forecast through the first week of August means big U.S. yields and ample supplies of commodities by fall 2025. In outside markets, investors have remained confident through the week's trade deal announcements as well as President Trump saying during his visit to the Federal Reserve on Thursday that there are no current plans to attempt to remove Fed Chair Powell from his position. The U.S. dollar is working toward a second session higher while the S&amp;P500 is pressing further into record highs.

The live cattle complex traded slightly higher into Friday's close as traders were optimistic about what this week's fed cash cattle market was going to do. Also lending positive support to the live cattle complex was the fact that the afternoon's Cattle on Feed report is expected to showcase fewer placements and lighter on-feed totals, and don't forget that the semi annual Cattle Inventory report was also going to be released later this afternoon as well. A few bids are currently on the table at $230 in Kansas, $238 live in the North and $376 dressed. Packers are undoubtedly going to need to get more aggressive before the week's end, as they can't afford to go short-bought into next week's trade.

The feeder cattle complex also used the day to trade higher as its contracts were conformably trading well over $1.00 stronger in most of the nearby months. With the continued support of red-hot feeder cattle demand in the countryside, traders have all the support they could ever wish for.

The lean hog complex again traded lower as the market seems skeptical to advance much higher as traders are facing some resistance pressure. Pork demand and cash prices have been supportive this past week, but with traders unwilling to challenge the futures complex's resistance, lower is the only direction for the market to trade.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/07/25144616/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

Commodity markets daily recap

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a new reorganization plan for the USDA. The plan refocuses its core operations to better align with its founding mission of supporting U.S. farming, ranching, and forestry. The reorganization plan consists of four parts: ensuring the size of USDA’s workforce aligns with available financial resources and agricultural priorities; bringing USDA closer to its customers; eliminating management layers and bureaucracy; and consolidating redundant support functions. 

To bring USDA closer to the people it serves while providing a more affordable cost of living for employees, USDA has developed a phased in plan to relocate much of its agency headquarters and staff out of the Washington, D.C. area to five hub locations. USDA’s five hub locations are Raleigh, Kansas City, Indianapolis,  Fort Collins, and Salt Lake City. 

Rollins announces USDA reorganization

In the latest trade developments, China has reportedly ended the tariff exclusion on American agricultural products. Fresh Fruit Portal says China’s government hasn’t issued an official statement yet. Importers in China have reported to the Foreign Agricultural Service that applications for market-based tariff exclusions will no longer be accepted beginning on August 1. Some of the products include grains, alcohol, leather, and fruits. 

Importers also said the previously approved exclusions will only be valid until September 14. The affected products were previously eligible for tariff exclusions under a process established in March 2020 by the State Council Tariff Commission of China. The process allowed importers to apply for waivers from the retaliatory Section 301 tariffs on certain U.S. products. Although the process did allow some items outside the predefined list, it covered a total of 696 tariff lines, of which approximately 150 lines apply to U.S. agricultural products.  

China suspends tariff exclusion for U.S. ag products

September corn closed up 3 1/4 cents and December corn was up 3 1/4 cents. August soybeans closed down 1 1/2 cents and November soybeans were up 1 1/2 cents. September KC wheat closed up 5 cents, September Chicago wheat was up 1 cent, September Minneapolis wheat was down 2 1/2 cents.

Row crops traded with little conviction and low volumes behind the markets for Thursday. Export data for last week offered few new insights, although a USDA reporting error which mistakenly gave China credit for a 2025-26 corn purchase briefly caused a stir before correction within the hour. Overall, weather remains the feature of the trade, with few changes on that front with the vast majority of the U.S. grain belt still expecting good precipitation coverage over the next 15 days, and the above-average temperatures expected to ease beginning next week as well. Outside markets were mixed for Thursday with equities mixed, supported by recent trade optimism but left with an uneasy feeling on reports that President Trump plans to visit the Federal Reserve. Energy markets were mixed with NYMEX crude oil attempting a recovery from an 8-day losing streak.

The live cattle complex rounded out the day lower as traders merely sat on their hands, waiting for time to pass by and hoping that they'd see some support from the market's fed cash cattle trade. August live cattle closed $1.22 lower at $225.80, October live cattle closed $1.35 lower at $222.15 and December live cattle closed $1.25 lower at $222.65. Bids were offered in both regions throughout the day, but as feedlot managers waited for packers to up their bids, time slipped by, and very few cattle traded throughout the day. There was just a handful of cattle traded in the South at $231, which is $1.00 higher than last week's weighted average.

The feeder cattle complex also closed lower as traders were sheepish to push the market any higher following the big gains seen earlier in the week. But today's move wasn't a choice made because of poor demand in the countryside, but rather because of skepticism from the futures complex as traders worry about over-extending the market. August feeders closed $2.62 lower at $328.90, September feeders closed $2.25 lower at $329.65 and October feeders closed $2.30 lower at $328.35.

The lean hog complex chopped merely sideways throughout the day as traders want to advance the contracts but didn't quite see enough fundamental support to justify doing so. August lean hogs closed $0.27 lower at $108.20, October lean hogs closed $0.20 higher at $91.10 and December lean hogs closed $0.35 higher at $82.92. It was impressive that pork cutout values closed higher at all, with the rib alone being down over $6.00.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/07/24163911/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

September corn closed down 3/4 cents and December corn was down 1/2 cents. August soybeans closed down 4 1/2 cents and November soybeans were down 2 3/4 cents. September KC wheat closed down 9 3/4 cents, September Chicago wheat was down 9 cents, September Minneapolis wheat was down 3 3/4 cents.

It was another mixed session for row crop markets on Wednesday as an early spark stemming from President Trump's announcement of a trade deal with Japan, as well as early details on an agreement with the Philippines and framework for the deal with Indonesia as well, was quickly extinguished as trader focus remains on friendly growing season weather and a seasonal tendency for prices to decline through late summer into fall. Outside markets were mixed with equities higher on the trade announcements, while energy markets were mostly lower with NYMEX crude oil futures on their way to an eighth consecutive lower session.

It's another rip-roaring, rallying day for the live cattle complex as the contracts etched into new territory yet again today. It could potentially be that traders are excited to hear about the trade deal that President Trump worked out with Japan, as it will obviously open up more opportunities for more beef to be marketed. Still today, no cash cattle trade has developed, but asking prices are now noted in the South at $232 but remain unestablished still in the North.

Up, up and away went the feeder cattle complex as the market saw deferred contracts trade as much as $4.50 higher into Wednesday's noon hour. More than anything, it seems as though traders are not only recognizing the fact that supplies are going to remain tight, but that they're also adjusting their position from a technical standpoint because of it.

The cattle contracts may be rallying but the lean hog complex again traded lower as traders remain stalemate in their hopes to advance the complex. This morning, pork demand was higher so traders can't point to disappointing market fundamentals. It seems as though traders are running into some resistance pressure, which is hindering the contracts from trading any higher.

Click <a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/07/23134652/web-closing-markets.mp3">HERE</a> for audio

Data from USDA shows inspections of wheat and beans for offshore delivery rose week to week while corn assessments declined. Wheat inspections totaled 732,000 metric tons in the seven days ending on July 17. The agency report says that’s up from 446,000 tons a week earlier. Examinations of soybeans for offshore delivery increased to 365,000 metric tons from just over 151,000 tons during the previous week. Corn saw the only decline on the week, falling to 983,000 metric tons, which the USDA said was down from 1.3 million a week prior. 

Since the start of the marketing year on September 1, corn inspections total nearly 59 million tons versus 45.6 million last year. Soybean inspections now total 46.8 million tons, up from 42.4 million at the same point last year, and wheat examinations since the marketing year began June 1 are at three million metric tons, up from 2.6 million a year ago. 

Weekly wheat, bean inspections increase

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are in merger talks to create the largest railroad in North America that would connect the East and West Coasts. The merger discussions began during the first quarter of 2025. It would combine the largest and smallest of the country’s six major freight railroads. Both railroads declined to comment. 

Within the industry, reports say there is a lot of debate over the merger and whether it would be approved by the Surface Transportation Board. The questions come despite regulators approving the deal that created CPKC railroad two years ago with the Canadian Pacific’s $31 billion acquisition of Kansas City Southern Railroad. That merger combined the two smallest major railroads in North America and left only six major freight railroads. But at the time, it was the first approved merger in 20 years.

Grain carriers discuss potential merger

September corn closed down 4 1/2 cents per bushel at $3.99 1/4 and December corn was down 4 1/4 cents at $4.18. November soybeans closed down 1/2 cent at $10.25 1/2 and September soybeans were down 2 1/2 cents at $10.08. September KC wheat closed up 7 1/2 cents at $5.33 1/4, September Chicago wheat was up 7 1/4 cents at $5.49 1/2 and September Minneapolis wheat was up 0.05 cents at $5.91.

Following the third consecutive week that corn good-to-excellent ratings stayed at an impressive 74%, corn futures leaked lower for a second straight day. Favorable weather in the extended forecast also added to the bearish tone. Soybeans were mixed to lower, with November falling slightly after a two-point decline in ratings. All three wheat markets were very firm on falling spring wheat conditions.

As time waged on, the live cattle complex turned a little more bullish throughout the day. Initially at the day's start, most of the nearby contracts traded lower, but as the morning progressed, the bullish nature of the market's deferred contracts slowly helped the nearby contracts grow more friendly to the idea of trading higher as well. Some of traders' skepticism comes from the sheer fact that the market is already trading at an all-time high. Also, not to mention the fact that later this week the monthly Cattle on Feed report will be unveiled and it's yet to be seen what this week's fed cash cattle market is going to do. So, all that being said, deep down it seems as though traders want to continue to support the complex, but there are plenty of variables up in the air right now and they don't want to overextend the market. The nearby contracts did finish the day only slightly lower, with the deferreds into the green. No bids or asking prices have surfaced in the cash cattle market.

The live cattle complex took a little bit, getting its bearings straight for the day, but the feeder cattle complex had its mission set in stone before the day even started -- continue to push the market higher. And from the day's initial opening bell, the market did indeed trade higher. Helping spur on traders' ambitious attitude has been the continued demand in the countryside, which continues to be a string of higher prices, nearly each and every week.

Although mid-morning pork cutout values were lower, the lean hog complex continued to trade mostly higher through Tuesday's trade. If it weren't for the butt's $4.12 decline and the rib's $3.01, the carcass price may have been able to hold at least steady.

The National FFA Organization recently announced a partnership with Vivayic, the nation’s largest learning solution provider for agriculture, to create virtual leadership labs. This unprecedented collection of modules will use a challenge-based learning approach to help prepare FFA members for success. Development of these online programs will start this Fall, with plans to make the leadership labs available to FFA members by the summer of 2026. 

Christine White, the chief program officer at the National FFA Organization, says “We believe partnering with Vivayic on this project is an exciting step forward in making leadership education more accessible, engaging, and impactful for our members,” and “As we expand to reach more than one million members, this collaboration ensures we’re combining innovation with real-world insight to equip every young leader, no matter where they are, with the tools they need to grow and succeed.” Once complete, the labs will be free and available online. 

National FFA working on new leadership labs

Ground beef prices continue hitting record-high levels. Reports say that’s despite still shrinking cattle herds and import restrictions set to push costs even higher. Government data shows the average price of a pound of 100 percent ground beef rose to $6.12 in June, 12 percent higher than last year. That’s also up from $5.98 in May and $5.47 in June. 

Industry experts say this trend shows no signs of slowing down, which means that there may be upward pressure on prices through 2026 and beyond. The average price of all uncooked beef steaks rose eight percent to $11.49 per pound. It is no secret, that the U.S. is dealing with significantly lower beef supplies, and that’s what is driving up the price of beef right now. The number of U.S. farms, including ranches, dropped by seven percent between 2017 and 2022, and it’s taking a long time to rebuild U.S. herds. 

Beef prices hit record highs in June

CLINTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 8:30a.m. Saturday in Clinton County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Chevy Silverado driven by a 23-year-old Gower man was southbound on U.S. 169 two miles north of Grayson. The pickup rear-ended a 2017 Ford Focus driven by a 38-year-old St. Joseph woman who was slowing to make a left turn at SW 247th Street.&nbsp;

Tri-County ambulance transported the St. Joseph woman to Mosaic Life Care. The pickup driver was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Woman from St. Joe injured in rear-end crash

KFEQ Week in Review

Fillmore city
officials have lifted a boil order issued earlier this week.

Fillmore lifts boil order

A teenage
motorcycle rider has died of injuries suffered in a crash south of St. Joseph
Tuesday evening.

The Missouri State
Highway Patrol reports the 13-year-old was pronounced dead at Children’s Mercy
Hospital in Kansas City.

The patrol reports
the teenage boy from Dearborn was riding south on Southeast 32nd
Road around eight o’clock Tuesday evening when an SUV, attempting to make a
left turn, began to slide in front of the motorcycle which crashed into its
front right bumper. The impact of the crash threw the rider from his
motorcycle.

The motorcyclist
was taken to Children’s Mercy where he died of his injuries.

The 18-year-old male
driver of the SUV, who is from St. Joseph, and an 18-year-old female passenger from
Country Club suffered minor injuries in the wreck.

The Missouri State
Highway Patrol no longer releases the identity of victims in its crash reports.

Teen motorcyclist dies in Buchanan County crash

KFEQ Morning Sports

KFEQ Morning News

BUCHANAN COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just after 3p.m. Thursday in Buchanan County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Ford Ranger driven by a 67-year-old Rushville man was westbound on County Road 237. The driver lost control of the pickup. It traveled off the right side of the road and rolled.

Buchanan County EMS transported the driver and a passenger identified as a 35-year-old St. Joseph man to Mosaic Life Care. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

2 Missouri men injured in pickup rollover accident

BUCHANAN COUNTY —Two people were injured in an accident just after 10a.m. Thursday in Buchanan County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Freightliner M2 driven by a 32-year-old Aurora, Colorado man was northbound on Interstate 29 in the city of St. Joseph.

The truck traveled off the east side of the road. The driver overcorrected. The truck traveled off the west side of the road, returned to the road, overturned and struck the cable barrier.

Buchanan County EMS transported the driver and a 22-year-old passenger to Mosaic Life Care. Both were. properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

2 hospitalized in St. Joe after truck overturns

The Kansas City Chiefs entered this year's training camp at Missouri Western State University loaded at the running back position.  

A healthy Isiah Pacheco, a newly signed Elijah Mitchell, and drafted Brashard Smith have had a good start to camp, not to mention Carson Steele and Kareem Hunt.  

For Hunt, who was signed three weeks into the season last year, feels he's really benefitted from having a full offseason of preparation 

"I was more locked in staying on schedule," Hunt tells reporters.  "Because I didn't know when I was going to get picked up or when I was going to have the opportunity, or if I was going to have the opportunity to play again, so I stayed on top of things this offseason, made sure I stayed in good shape from OTA's and just able to keep building on what I've already built." 

Hunt rushed for 728 yards last season and seven touchdowns, primarily used as a short yardage back, which could again be his role if he earns his spot.  

The competition on the offensive line will continue to be a focus for much of Chiefs Training Camp as the Chiefs majorly refocus on reshaping their offensive line.  

Seeking left tackle consistency, the Chiefs drafted Joshua Simmons and signed former San Francisco 49er Jaylon Moore to replace Wanya Morris and Kingsley Suamataia 

Center Creed Humphrey says with two new tackles coming in, it's all about building chemistry along the offensive line 

"That's why camp's really good for this, you get a ton of reps in, a ton of looks against Spags defense, so it's preparing you all for the season," Humphrey says.  "So, we're excited about it, we've got some really good talent in that room right now and it's going to really good competition."  

Suamataia is competing to replace Joe Thuney at left guard after the Chiefs traded Thuney to the Chicago Bears.  Kansas City has also been without Jawaan Taylor to start camp as he's on the PUP list 

In a move that was overshadowed by the resigning of Trey Smith and contract extension of George Karlaftis, the Chiefs linebacking core got a boost early this offseason, bringing back a fan favorite, who's also a leader on the defense.  

Nick Bolton signed a three-year contract extension to stay with the Chiefs, after many thought he might leave.  Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo called Bolton the Patrick Mahomes of the defense 

Linebacker Leo Chenal echoes the sentiment saying having Bolton back means everything 

"When he's on the field it's just different, you guys can see it I'm sure, not only his play, his leadership, his loud, bold communcation, just his positivity, you can go down the list of what a leader is and Nick Bolton checks the box," Chenal says.  "So, it boosts morale to the whole team and makes everybody play better around him."  

For Chenal, he enters this season on the final year of his rookie contract, but says he's keeping his mind off it as best he can and is focused on doing his best for the team 

The Chiefs practiced for just under two hours today.  They are back at practice tomorrow at 9:15, before an off day on Saturday.

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hunt ready for another year with Chiefs after having full offseason to prepare

Missouri and Kansas have made their pitch
for either renovating Arrowhead Stadium or building a new stadium for the
Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas made its offer early, an attempt to lure the Chiefs
over the state line. Missouri countered with the legislature approving a
package during the special session in June.

Kansas City Chiefs President, Mark
Donovan, says team officials continue to pore over offers from both states as
they consider where the team will play in the future.

Donovan declines to indicate whether one
state has the edge over the other.

“As I said before, I’ll say it again, the
commitment on both sides has been really, really humbling,” Donovan tells
reporters during the opening of Training Camp at Missouri Western State
University. “There’s a real interest to figure this out on both sides of the
state line and that gives us a great opportunity to figure out what is best for
our fans and for the organization.”

The Chiefs conducted a survey of fans in
the team’s effort to decide its future. Donovan says three survey results stood
out. Fans take pride in how loud it gets at Arrowhead and want to retain the arguably
loudest stadium in the NFL. Fans like their tailgates and whether the Chiefs renovate
Arrowhead or move to a new stadium, fans want the Chiefs to provide plenty of
room for tailgating. Donovan says the third response that rose to the top was
humbling to the organization. He says fans said they trusted the Chiefs to do
the right thing.

Much hinges on what the Royals decide to
do. The Chiefs and the Royals are neighbors, sharing room in the Truman Sports
Complex which opened in 1972. If the Royals leave Kauffman Stadium as expected,
that creates a different dynamic for the Chiefs, according to Donovan. The NFL
franchise could then spread out to take over the entire complex. Donovan does
add that if the Royals cross the state line and relocate in the Kansas side of
the Kansas City metroplex, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Chiefs will move
to Kansas. Previously, the future of the two teams seemed linked. They are
separate now.

Donovan says his team is scrutinizing
every paragraph, every word in the offers from both states. 

“It’s the detail of those deals. What
deal makes the most sense from a business perspective, for a future
perspective. And I think it’s important to point this out – what makes the most
sense for our fans for the next generation, right?” Donovan says. “There are a
lot of really strong arguments on both sides, but we have to make that
decision, what we believe makes the best impact on our fans for the next
generation.”

Donovan emphasizes the decision on where
the Chiefs call home has no impact on whether the Chiefs continue to hold
training camp in St. Joseph. Missouri Western State University announced just
prior to the beginning of this year’s camp that the university had reached a multi-year
extension with the Chiefs.

But will the Chiefs stay in St. Joseph in
the future?

Donovan says much like the team’s
decision on whether to renovate Arrowhead or build new, it all depends.

“Look, we don’t want to leave, but we may
find a better option in the future and decide to do that,” Donovan says. “It’s
kind of what we’re doing with the stadium right now. We may and we may not.”

Donovan says when the Chiefs began
holding training camp in St. Joseph in 2010, no one could have guessed the
impact it would have on the city.

“And you look at it today, 15 years in, it’s
measurable and it’s exceeded everyone’s expectations and we’re proud of that,” Donovan
says. “But we also believe that’s what we bring to the table. We can bring
something that can change, have impact. And, if you look at the history of
this, we’ve done that.”

The Chiefs moved training camp from the
University of Wisconsin – River Falls. Before that, the Chiefs held training
camp at William Jewel College in Liberty.

Chiefs weigh proposals from Missouri & Kansas in deciding future home

The last time the Cardinals won consecutive games before Friday night, it was June 29 and St. Louis sat a season-best nine games over .500, filled with confidence.

An MLB-worst 5-13 stretch followed for the Cardinals to temper their excitement and seemingly put their playoff hopes in jeopardy. However, after thumping the Padres twice in as many nights to get back to within 1 1/2 games of the National League’s final Wild Card slot, hope is back in St. Louis.&nbsp; Struggling starter Miles Mikolas got right against the Padres on Friday, as the Cardinals won 3-0 at Busch Stadium for the second win in a row.&nbsp;

In the bottom of the second inning, the Cardinals got on the scoreboard with the first run as Yohel Pozo grounded out, driving in Nolan Arenado.&nbsp; In the fourth inning, after back to back walks to Willson Contreras and Arenado, Masyn Winn doubled to drive in both runners for the only runs the Redbirds needed on the day.&nbsp; Ryan Helsley earned his 21st save striking out two batters in the ninth inning.

Mikolas pitched five shutout innings and improved to 6-7 on the season giving up seven hits while striking out one.&nbsp; At the plate, Contreras was 2-for-2 with a double and a walk.&nbsp; Winn was 1-for-2 with the double and two RBIs.&nbsp;

St. Louis and San Diego continue their four game series tomorrow with game three.&nbsp; Matthew Liberatore (6-7, 4.13 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against&nbsp;Randy Vásquez (3-4, 3.73 ERA) for the Padres.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:15pm, with coverage being joined around 6:05 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;

MIkolas gets right in Cardinals 3-0 shutout against Padres

An important American League Central matchup between two teams fighting to stay alive in the standings as Thursday’s Trade Deadline inches closer will have to wait another day.

Friday’s Guardians-Royals game at Kauffman Stadium was postponed due to inclement weather in the area. It will be made up as part of a split doubleheader on Saturday.

Game 1 will begin at 1:40 p.m with Royals starter Michael Wacha facing Guardians starter Gavin Williams.&nbsp; Game 2 will begin at 6:15 p.m. Kansas City starter Kris Bubic is scheduled to take the mound opposite Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee.

This will be the fifth doubleheader for the Guardians, who have split the previous four against the Red Sox, Nationals, Twins and White Sox this season. Cleveland entered Friday having won 11 of its past 14 games following a 10-game skid in early July, which dropped the club eight games under .500 on July 6.

The Royals swept their first doubleheader this season against the Rockies on April 24 before splitting at St. Louis on June 5. Kansas City is coming off a 3-3 road trip through Miami and Chicago after the All-Star break and has gone 11-7 in July.

While the Tigers have a sizable eight-game lead over the Guardians in the AL Central, the Guards and Royals are still battling in the AL Wild Card race, three games and 4 1/2 games back, respectively, ahead of Friday’s slate of games. This weekend could very well determine either team’s position for next Thursday, whether they trade pieces away or add in hopes of a postseason run.

Rain postpones Royals and Guardians, doubleheader on Saturday

With impending rain in St. Joseph on Friday night, game two of the MINK League Championship series has been postponed until Saturday, with game three moved to Sunday if needed.&nbsp;

The St. Joseph Mustangs are taking on the Clarinda A's, seeking their 10th MINK League title.&nbsp; The Mustangs are one game away from hoisting the championship again, after beating the A's on the road in Clarinda in game one on Thursday 10-6.&nbsp;

First pitch on Saturday will be at 7pm, per Mustangs General Manager and Owner Ky Turner.&nbsp; If the decisive game three is needed, first pitch on Sunday will be at 5pm.&nbsp;

MINK League Championship Game postponed

The St. Louis Cardinals outslugged the San Diego Padres, and used a big second inning, to win their first home game of the second half of the MLB season 9-7 at Busch Stadium on Thursday evening.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Padres took the lead in the first inning behind two runs as Luis Arraez doubled to drive in Fernando Tatis Jr after his leadoff single.&nbsp; Arraez later scored in the inning on an RBI single by Jackson Merrill.&nbsp; In the bottom half of the inning, the Cardinals cut that lead to one run as Willson Contreras doubled, driving in Brendan Donovan after he led off the Redbirds half of the inning with a single, ending the inning with the Cardinals trailing 2-1.&nbsp;

After a scoreless second for the Padres, St. Louis blew things open in the bottom half scoring six runs, starting with a big three run home run from Donovan, scoring Jordan Walker and Victor Scott II to give the Cardinals the lead.&nbsp; After&nbsp;Iván Herrera and Alec Burleson doubled, Contereas drove in three more runs, hitting the second three run homer of the inning to bring home both Herrera and Burleson, putting St. Louis up 7-2 at the end of the inning.&nbsp;

The ball kept soaring in the third inning, this time off the Padres bat, as Tatis Jr led the inning off with a solo home run.&nbsp; And after a double by Arraez, Manny Machado cut the Cardinals lead to two runs hitting a two run home run to center field.&nbsp; St. Louis got one of those runs back in the bottom of the fourth, Scott leading the inning off with a walk and stealing second before scoring on a single by Herrera, to put the Cardinals up 8-5.

The game would get even closer in the sixth inning, with the Padres cutting the lead to one.&nbsp; After Merrill singled, and Xander Bogaerts doubled to put two runners in scoring position, Gavin Sheets grounded out to drive in Merrill.&nbsp; Later in the inning, with two outs, Bryce Johnson reached first on a throwing error by Contreras, allowing Bogaerts to come home and score with the Cardinals unable to get out of the inning.&nbsp; Leading by one run after the inning, the Cardinals got the only run of insurance they needed in the bottom of the sixth, thanks to a solo home run by Herrera.

Sonny Gray earned the win, improving to 10-4 on the season, pitching five innings and giving up seven runs, six earned, on 11 hits while striking out five.&nbsp; Ryan Helsley, a potential trade target as the trade deadline nears, earned his 20th save striking out two and giving up one hit.&nbsp; At the plate, Herrera was 3-for-4 with a walk and a home run, driving in two runs.&nbsp; Contreras was 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, and a home run, driving in four.&nbsp;&nbsp;

St. Louis and San Diego continue their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Miles Mikolas (5-7, 5.20 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Nick Pivetta (10-2, 2.81 ERA) for the Padres.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:15 with coverage beginning around 6:05 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;

Cardinals outslug Padres in 9-7 win back at Busch Stadium

The St. Joseph Mustangs marched into Clarinda, Iowa on a mission for their 10th MINK League Championship, and walked away needing just one more game to accomplish that mission, beating the Clarinda A's 10-6 in game on of the MINK League Championship series.&nbsp;

The Mustangs scored most of their runs early, building a big lead through the first five innings, scoring four in the first inning.&nbsp; A double by Jack Mosh with the bases loaded cleared the bases, driving in Darius Freeman, Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart, and Dom Felix, before Mosh scored the final run of the inning on an RBI single by Lafayette alum Jayden Little.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Central alum Logan Miller added another run in the second inning, extending the lead, with a sacrifice fly bringing Northwest Missouri State's Parker Griffith home.&nbsp; Then in the fifth inning, the Mustangs again put a four spot on the scoreboard with RBI singles by Savannah alum Truman Bodenhausen and Miller, scoring Mosh and Little, before Freeman drove in the final two with an double, bringing home Bodenhausen and Griffith.&nbsp;

With the Mustangs holding a 9-0 lead, the A's got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth on a wild pitch with Cooper Knight coming home to score.&nbsp; St. Joseph got that run back however in the sixth inning, their final run of the game, Benton alum scoring on a groundout by Little, thanks to an error by Clarinda first baseman Drake Cobb.&nbsp;

The bottom of the sixth began the A's rally with Clarinda scoring three runs.&nbsp; Another run scored on a wild pitch as Layth Holliday came home for a run in the inning.&nbsp; After Micah Nicholson walked, and stole second base, Cobb drove the A's second baseman in with an RBI single.&nbsp; Cobb stole second, and with two outs in the inning, Kane Wilson singled to drive in Cobb for the final run of the inning, cutting the Mustangs lead to 10-4.&nbsp;

Clarinda continued to threaten a comeback in the seventh, scoring two more runs and cutting the lead to four.&nbsp; Holliday singled and moved&nbsp;Clayton Pourciau to third, before Pourciau went home to score on an error by Bodenhausen.&nbsp; Holliday scored the final run after stealing third base, then going home on an error by Griffith.&nbsp;

Lawson alum Lane Chapman came on and pitched the eighth and ninth innings, holding the A's to just a single hit and walking one while striking out two batters to end the game and secure the Mustangs head back to St. Joseph needing just one more win.&nbsp;

Cade Perkins earned the win pitching seven innings and giving up six runs on six hits while striking out 10 and walking four.&nbsp; At the plate, Bodenhausen was 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, and one RBI.&nbsp; Little was 3-for-5 with two RBI's, while Mosh was 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI's.&nbsp;

The Mustangs and A's will now meet at Phil Welch Stadium in game two of the MINK League Championship series tomorrow.&nbsp; First pitch will be at 7pm.&nbsp; With a Mustangs win, the series will be over, but if Clarinda wins, game three will be on Saturday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

One to go, Mustangs take game one of MINK League Championship

The St. Louis Cardinals offense struggled to figure out the Colorado Rockies pitching, managing just five hits, as the Redbirds were shutout to fall in the series finale at Coors Field on Wednesday afternoon, losing 6-0 before heading back to St. Louis.&nbsp;

In the bottom of the second, the Rockies got on the scoreboard, striking Cardinals starter Andre Pallante for four runs.&nbsp; Ryan McMahon scored after his leadoff walk for the first run on an RBI single by Kyle Farmer, before with runners on first and second the lead was extended on another RBI single by&nbsp;Adael Amador driving in Austin Nola.&nbsp; A fourth straight single by Tyler Freeman brought home Farmer to push in the third run, and a fifth single by Mickey Moniak drove in Amador for the final run putting Colorado up 4-0 early in the game.&nbsp;

The Rockies put up one more run against Pallante in the fifth inning, an RBI double by Jordan Beck driving in Freeman who walked to start the inning.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ezequiel Tovar put up the final run for Colorado in the eighth inning, hitting his sixth home run of the season off reliever John King to right field.&nbsp;

Pallante took the loss, falling to 5-7 on the season, pitching five innings and giving up five runs on eight hits while striking out five and walking two.&nbsp; At the plate, five Cardinals had one hit each, led by&nbsp;Iván Herrera who was 1-for-2 with two walks.&nbsp; Jordan Walker and Willson Contreras each doubled while going 1-for-4.

St. Louis now returns to the comforts of Busch Stadium to host San Diego.&nbsp; Sonny Gray (9-4, 4.04 ERA) takes the mound for the Cardinals against Yu Darvish (0-2. 6.08 ERA) for the Padres tomorrow in St. Louis.&nbsp; First pitch is at 6:45pm, coverage will be joined around 6:35 on KY 102 (102.5 FM).&nbsp;

Rockies shutout Cardinals for 6-0 series win

With the trade deadline on the horizon, the Kansas City Royals powered their way to a key series win, hitting four home runs, and beating the Chicago Cubs 8-4 at Wrigley Field on Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;

In the first inning, Adam Frazier reached on a fielding error, and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Maikel Garcia, before scoring as Vinnie Pasquantino hit the Royals first home run, and his first home run of the game, giving Kansas City a 2-0 lead in the opening inning.&nbsp; The Cubs cut the lead to one in the second inning, Reese McGuire singling home Ian Happ on a hit into right field.

In the third inning, the Royals added two more runs with another two run home run, this time by Salvador Perez, following up Pasquantino's one out double with a blast into the left field ivy to put Kansas City up 4-1 on Chicago.&nbsp; In the bottom half, the Cubs added one more run as Carson Kelly doubled home Michael Busch who led the inning off getting hit by a pitch.&nbsp;

Pasquantino hit his second home run of the game in the fifth inning, another two run shot, driving in Garcia after his one out single, the ball sailing into right field.&nbsp; The power surge continued in the sixth inning with the fourth home run of the game, and the fourth two run home run, as Tyler Tolbert hit his first major league home run, scoring Kyle Isbel for the final Royals runs.&nbsp;

Matt Shaw homered in the seventh inning and Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a solo home run in the eighth inning for the final runs for the Cubs in the loss before Lucas Erceg closed out the game with a clean ninth inning to give the Royals the series win.&nbsp;

Seth Lugo earned the win, improving to 7-5 on the season, pitching six innings and giving up two runs on four hits while striking out six and walking two.&nbsp; At the plate, Pasquantino was 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double, and four RBIs.&nbsp; Perez was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.&nbsp;

Kansas City is off on Thursday and returns to Kauffman Stadium on Friday to host Cleveland.&nbsp; Michael Wacha (4-9, 3.62 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals against Gavin Williams (6-4, 3.54 ERA) for the Guardians.&nbsp; First pitch is at 7:10pm on Friday, with pregame coverage beginning at 6:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;

As deadline looms, Royals power way to key series win over Cubs

It was another hot day at Kansas City Chiefs training camp on the Missouri Western campus, but the Chiefs were still grinding hard preparing for the season.  

This season will bring an expanded role for second year safety Jaden Hicks, after Justin Reid was not resigned this offseason, and moved on to the New Orleans Saints.  

Safety Bryan Cook says he knows Hicks is ready for that expanded role because of his capacity to learn at a rapid rate 

"As well as the fact that he's always high energy, things like that, so you know sometimes if our vets are a little low that day, he'll bring the energy, he'll bring the juice," Cook tells reporters.  "And as I said before, he's always ready to learn." 

Hicks, a fourth-round pick last season, had three interceptions and 27 tackles playing in every game last season behind Reid and Cook.  

Theres also a big offensive line battle brewing during Chiefs training camp. 

With a battle at left tackle, between Jaylon Moore and Josh Simmons, and a battle at left guard, between Mike Caliendo and Kingsley Suamataia, there's some competition brewing during camp.  

Defensive tackle Chris Jones says it's good competition and adds it's good for the offensive line, but also good for the defensive line as well 

"You've got to enjoy this competition man, I think we've reiterated this over the years we have one of the hardest training camps, and I think after this training camp they'll be able to evaluate and see who's the best fit for it," Jones says.  "But I actually like it, because the change up amongst the offensive line, you've got so many guys that can play so many different places, guard, tackle, that it makes us better on the offensive line, and also challenges us on the defensive line." 

Suamataia played the final game of last season at left guard against the Denver Broncos, which gave the Chiefs the confidence to move him to the position after trading Joe Thuney 

Day two of Chiefs Training Camp saw some more big plays from the offense, but also some big plays from the defense.  

On the offensive side of the ball during camp, the Chiefs have been focusing on emphasizing explosive and big plays, going deep down field.  

Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo says he doesn't like it when big plays happen in practice.  

"But hopefully it makes us better in eliminating those, because those will kill you in a game, I can remember one or two there today," Spagnuolo points out.  "But listen, the offense will make us better by doing that in terms of taking away those deep plays, because explosive plays in this league, when you give them up, usually that doesn't bode well for points allowed."  

While the Chiefs offense is working to get back the explosive play, after struggling last season, the defense has done an exceptional job at containing the big play.  

The Chiefs practiced again for just about an hour and a half today.  They practice again tomorrow at 9:15 on the Mosaic Practice Fields. 

Expanded roles and position battles during Chiefs Training Camp

Missouri House Speaker Pro Tem Chad Perkins said Trump staffers called him after The Independent published his negative comments about the idea. He says other Republican leaders are also on the call list

BY:&nbsp;&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>

The Trump White House is ratcheting up pressure on Missouri Republicans reluctant to pursue a new map that could give the GOP seven of the state’s eight seats in Congress.

Missouri House Speaker Pro Tem Chad Perkins of Bowling Green said he received a call Friday afternoon from the White House after staff read his comments&nbsp;published Thursday in The Independent.

“We do redistricting every 10 years,” Perkins said Thursday. “We’ve already done that. To do it again would be out of character with the way Missouri operates.”

During the call Friday, he said, after verifying he was quoted accurately, he was told it was important to President Donald Trump.&nbsp;

“They said ‘well, we’re really going to try to do that’ and that might change the dynamic of it,” Perkins said.

The presumed target for the change is Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City, who has held the 5th District seat since 2005 and was re-elected in November with 60% of the vote.

Cleaver’s office did not respond to an email seeking comment on the White House effort to defeat him by altering his district.

Missouri’s other Democrat, U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell of St. Louis, represents the 1st District.

To achieve a delegation with seven Republicans, Kansas City would need to be sliced into multiple districts instead of being encompassed by one. Neighborhoods heavy with Democratic votes would be added adjoining districts — the 5th shares a border with the 6th District, held by Republican U.S. Rep. Sam Graves of Tarkio, and the 4th District, held by Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Alford of Raymore — or combined with enough Republican votes to make the 5th District a safe GOP seat.

The White House political staff who made the call, Perkins said, told him they would be calling every GOP member of the Missouri House delegation as well as Gov. Mike Kehoe to push the project forward.

Kehoe’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

The reason the White House staff gave for the pressure is that Democrats are looking at redistricting California and Illinois to their advantage, Perkins said.

“That might be true, but I don’t like gerrymandering lines,” Perkins said. “I like things to be clear, concise and compact.”

The internal question for Republicans in the 2022 redistricting debate was whether they could reach for a 7-1 map without putting seats at risk by diluting their voting strength. That intraparty fight mixed with personality clashes in a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/02/12/tempers-fray-as-missouri-senate-republicans-fight-over-congressional-map/">dysfunctional state Senate</a>&nbsp;that put passing any redistricting plan into question up until the final votes.

“To me, the arguments that were good arguments against it two years ago probably are still the same good arguments,” Perkins said Friday. “ But if someone comes up with a plan, we’ll take a look at it.”

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