Storms sent fans home early and forced the Kansas City Chiefs into the Griffons indoor sports complex for practice today.  

After questions of if he would retire following last year's Super Bowl loss, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is back in St. Joseph with the Chiefs for a 13th year.  

Kelce says what juices him up more than anything is to see the way the Chiefs program has grown through those 13 years 

"The fact that we have created this culture, we have created this machine that when you do it the right way it works and you get to win football games because of it," Kelce tells reporters following practice.  "And I think that alone kind of gives you the excitement that what we're doing here is special." 

All those years, except for one, Chiefs Training Camp has been held in St. Joseph which Kelce has referred to in the past as his sanctuary, and he says that's still the case.  

"I love it here, it gets me away from everything else that's going on in this crazy world and I think you can really just focus in on your craft and focus in on being the best you can for the guys around you," Kelce explains.  "Football's always been the biggest driving force I've ever had so I love coming out here and focusing on this and getting better for another run at hopefully another Super Bowl." 

Kelce has said on his podcast 'New Heights' that when in St. Joseph it's all about football and people can't even get ahold of him.  

Coming into Chiefs Training Camp last season, running back Carson Steele was looking to make an impact wherever he could.   

Head Coach Andy Reid possibly viewed Steele as a fullback, which Steele did begin learning, but spent much of last season at running back behind Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt.

Coming into camp this year, Steele says he had a point of emphasis this offseason to continue working on several roles 

"Work a lot more on my fullback role, special teams, as well as keeping the running back side of me," Steele says.  "I kind of talked last year about being a swiss army knife, kind of doing everything, but taking that to the next step this year." 

Steele is listed on the Chiefs first unofficial depth chart as the starting fullback, showing the Chiefs confidence in the growth of his blocking abilities 

The Chiefs continued gearing up for their first preseason game Saturday.  Going into game one, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo says his focus is always on tackling and block destruction 

"I'm always going to be preaching guys let's find a way to get off blocks and tackle, the rest will take care of itself, and we'll build from there," Spagnuolo says.  "But if we're not doing that in game one then I'll be concerned you've got to go back to step one, et cetera, et cetera, so those will be big things." 

Kansas City takes on the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday on the road.   

The Chiefs still practiced for just over two hours, even after moving inside.  One more practice this week tomorrow at 9:15, before Saturday's preseason game. 

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

Kelce happy to return to his sanctuary during Chiefs Training Camp

CALDWELL COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after noon Wednesday in Caldwell County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Chrysler 200 driven by a 45-year-old Breckenridge man was southbound on Highway A at Applewood Drive four miles south of Breckenridge. The Chrysler crossed the center of the road and struck the towed unit of a northbound 2024 Ford F250 driven by a 59-year-old Linneus man. After impact the Chrysler left the road and rolled onto its top.

Caldwell County EMS transported the Chrysler driver to Hedrick Medical Center. The other driver was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri man injured after 2-vehicle crash

By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph Post

He might not have
a say in the matter, by Kansas U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, a self-proclaimed
livelong Chiefs fan, would welcome the NFL club to Kansas.

Marshall, during a
visit to Chiefs Training Camp in St. Joseph, backs the effort by Kansas to lure
the Chiefs across the state line.

“Well, of course,
we would welcome the Chiefs to Kansas. Again, a life-long Chiefs fan would love
to see them over there,” Marshall tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “There are many
reasons that we would like them, but I think mostly importantly going forward
is to give the Chiefs a more secure facility.”

Marshall says
Arrowhead, located in the Truman Sports Complex, isn’t secure enough for Chiefs
players.

“Think about all
the things going on in Chiefs Kingdom that these players are coming and going
at 8-9pm at night. And would be able to have more events there throughout the
year as well,” according to Marshall. “They would certainly be welcome. I think
about a complex in Olathe for the management-type people and a training complex,
how important that could be for the local community as well.”

Marshall would
welcome the Chiefs to cross the state line and relocate in Kansas.

“Look, I love
Arrowhead Stadium,” Marshall says. “I’ve had many, many memories there, going
back to just decades. But I think it’d be better for the Chiefs to come over to
a new location with a more secure facility.”

Kansas rolled out
an incentive package for the Chiefs to move into a new stadium across the state
line. Missouri countered with its own incentives to renovate Arrowhead.

You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

Sen. Marshall says Kansas would welcome the Chiefs

KFEQ Morning Sports

KFEQ Morning News

DEKALB COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 2a.m. Wednesday in DeKalb County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Dodge Ram driven by an 18-year-old Madison, Minnesota man was westbound on U.S. 36 two miles west of Stewartsville. The pickup traveled off the north side of the road and overturned onto its top. The towed unit became disconnected from the vehicle and came to rest blocking the driving lane.

DeKalb-Clinton ambulance transported the driver to Mosaic Life Care. The Patrol did not have seat belt usage information and no longer releases names of accident victims.

Teen injured after pickup overturns in DeKalb County

St. Joseph —Great turnout for National Night Out in St. Joseph and Cameron, according to a social media report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop H.

"We enjoyed visiting and interacting with community members. Events like this help build relationships and trust—thank you for coming out."

MSHP: Great turnout for National Night Out

The Kansas City Chiefs were back at it today after a Monday off day, gearing up for the Arizona Cardinals during practice at Missouri Western State University.  

The Chiefs offense is working to get the explosive, downfield play back this season.  That's something offensive coordinator Matt Nagy felt they hit their stride with during today's practice 

"I really felt like today was one of our, as a group and in particular with Pat, one of our better days with those types of throws, some downfield stuff," Nagy tells reporters after practice.  "Where the timing element, it wasn't one of those deals where you're scrambling throwing the ball away and catching a ball off timing, these were all on timing throws and then guys were making great catches, so I was really pleased with that." 

The Chiefs offense remains without Hollywood Brown who did not practice again today with an ankle injury.   

The Chiefs safety group lost a piece this offseason as veteran safety Justin Reid was not resigned and moved on to the New Orleans Saints.   

Kansas City brought back safety Mike Edwards, who spent last year with Buffalo and Tampa Bay after being with Kansas City in 2023, to add that veteran presence to a young room.

Edwards says the last time he was here; it was Reid that was that leader, but now he feels like it's his responsibility to take on that role 

"Whatever it may be, trying to take on a leadership role," Edwards says.  "You know I feel like everybody can be a leader in that room, but being an older guy, being a vet, trying to take on that role so I can help out the younger guys as much as possible." 

Edwards says he's been impressed with the young safeties in the room like Jaden Hicks and Glendon Miller.  

He also adds there was no question he wanted to come back to Kansas City, because of how well the organization treated him 

Adding to that young core, the Chiefs drafted a rookie class that's very likeable and are becoming fan favorites during Chiefs Training Camp.  

Josh Simmons and Jalen Royals are greeted with cheers each morning coming down the hill.  But another working hard, and being recognized, is fifth round pick linebacker Jeffrey Bassa

Bassa sees himself as a swiss army knife of sorts, and says defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has had him working out all across the defense 

"Really learning both positions, the Mike and the Will, really trying to cross train so when it comes to a situation where he can get me in at either position, I feel like we've been doing a great job at that as well," Bassa says.  "Kind of knowing the fact that I'm learning two positions and now that I'm going to be able to later on in my career learn the back end and learn the full front, I feel like it's going to be a good job and it's going to help me in the long end."  

Bassa also credits leaning on veteran linebackers Drue Tranquill and Nick Bolton in the learning process as guys that have helped ease him into the NFL.  

The Chiefs held another over two-hour practice, a standard at this point in camp.  Kansas City will practice again tomorrow at 9:15. 

With first preseason game on the horizon, Chiefs return to practice

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/kelcie-moseley-morris/">Kelcie Moseley-Morris</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

The Trump administration has taken its first step toward restricting access to abortions for veterans who are covered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ medical benefits, reversing a<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-09-09/html/2022-19239.htm" target="_blank">&nbsp;2022 rule</a>.

Former Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration enacted the rule following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, which ended federally protected access to abortion. More than a dozen states implemented abortion bans after that decision, and the policy was meant to preserve access to abortion for veterans in certain circumstances, regardless of where they lived. Veterans Affairs medical centers were allowed to provide abortions in cases of rape or incest, and when the life or health of the pregnant person was in jeopardy. Counseling about abortion was also permitted.

Under the proposal, nearly all abortions, except those to save a patient’s life, would be banned at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and would no longer be covered by VA medical benefits.

In<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/state-policies-abortion-bans" target="_blank">&nbsp;eight states with abortion bans</a>, there are no rape or incest exceptions, including Texas, Alabama and Oklahoma, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Five states with bans also don’t have an exception in cases where the pregnant person’s health is at risk, only to save their life.

The rule also applies to recipients of the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA), which provides coverage to veterans’ families, including children, along with caregivers of veterans.

Officials&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/04/2025-14687/reproductive-health-services#page-36416" target="_blank">wrote in the proposal</a>&nbsp;that the 2022 policy was enacted because the administration expected increased “demand” for abortion services, but the rule cited abortion bans in several states that created an environment of uncertainty for veterans who might need care.

The Department of Veterans Affairs provided 88 abortions in the first year after the rule went into place, 64 of which were performed because of a threat to the pregnant person’s health, according to VA data<a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2023/10/19/va-says-it-performed-88-abortions-past-year-congress-again-threatens-subpoenas-pursuit-of-more.html" target="_blank">&nbsp;reported by Military.com</a>.

Rescinding the rule was a directive in Project 2025, the blueprint document published by the conservative Heritage Foundation and co-authored by anti-abortion organizations such as Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. The first of what the document calls “needed reforms” calls for rescinding all department clinical policy directives that are “contrary to principles of conservative governance, starting with abortion services and gender reassignment surgery.”

“Neither aligns with service-connected conditions that would warrant VA’s providing this type of clinical care,” the Project 2025 document reads.

U.S. law already mandates that federal funding cannot be used for abortions except in cases of rape, incest and in certain medical circumstances. The administration argues the 2022 rule violated the “bright line between elective abortion and health care services” and should return to a policy that only allows abortion care to save the pregnant person’s life. Counseling about abortion options would no longer be permitted.

“Taken together, claims in the prior administrations rule that abortions throughout pregnancy are needed to save the lives of pregnant women are incorrect,” officials wrote in the proposed rule description. “Prior to September 9, 2022, abortions and abortion counseling were excluded from the medical benefits package, with no exceptions.”

According to estimates from nonprofit National Partnership for Women and Families, more than 400,000 women veterans lived in states that already had an abortion ban in place or were likely to ban it in 2023. That figure represents more than half of the women veterans in the country.

<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/04/2025-14687/reproductive-health-services#page-36416" target="_blank">Public comment</a>&nbsp;on the proposed rule will be accepted until Sept. 3.&nbsp;

Trump admin. moves to end veterans’ abortion access in cases of rape, incest and health

Kansas City Chiefs
CEO, Clark Hunt, has high praise for St. Joseph, the home of the Chiefs
Training Camp.

“Well, this is our
15th year hosting training camp here out of the last 16 years and
the experience has been fantastic for the organization,” Hunt tells the media during
an appearance at Chiefs Training Camp.

It starts, says
Hunt, with the football team itself.

“I know you’ve heard
Coach (Andy) Reid talk about how important he thinks it is in terms of bringing
the team together to be up here in this environment,” Hunt says. “The
facilities are outstanding. The folks in the cafeteria do a great job with the
food. So, it’s been an all-around win for the football team.”

Hunt even has
praise for the dorms. He says he stays in the dorms when he visits training
camp. Some players have complained about mattresses in the past, but that has
been solved, according to Hunt, with a partnership with a local furniture store
that provided new mattresses.

Hunt says moving
training camp to St. Joseph has been a big benefit for the fans as well.

“Many of them are
local. Some have driven up from Kansas City or, really, across the bistate
region. And, having the fans here I think helps the players from an intensity
level at practice,” Hunt says. “And then, also, creates a very special environment
where the fans and players are able to interact like we saw here just a few
minutes ago with our players signing autographs.”

Hunt praises how
well Missouri Western State University takes care of the Chiefs, from the dorms
to the food in the cafeteria.

“It’s really been
great for the organization,” Hunt says. “We were glad to be able to extend our
relationship going forward. We do believe it’s been a key part of helping us win
a few championships.”

The Chiefs and
Missouri Western agreed to a six-year extension to hold training camp in St.
Joseph. The Chiefs moved training camp from River Falls, Wisconsin to St. Joseph in 2010. The team has
sequestered in St. Joseph every year since with the exception of the COVID
year; 15 out of the past 16 years.

Chiefs owner says moving training camp to St. Joseph benefits team & fans

Click <a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/08/06143944/web-closing-markets.mp3">HERE</a> to listen to the Wednesday closing markets.

September corn closed down 1 3/4 cents and December corn was down 3/4 cents. September soybeans closed down 6 cents and November soybeans were down 6 1/4 cents. September KC wheat closed up 7 cents, September Chicago wheat was up 1/4 cents, September MIAX Minneapolis wheat was down 1 1/2 cents.

The U.S. Dollar Index is down 0.59 at 98.19. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 130.0 points at 44,366.0. December gold is down $2.10 at $3,432.60, September silver is up $0.11 at $37.94 and September copper is up $0.0255. September crude oil is down $0.87 at $64.29, September ultra-low sulfur diesel is up $0.0075, September RBOB gasoline is down $0.0025 and September natural gas is up $0.073.

September corn futures dropped another 1 3/4 cents on Wednesday, closing at $3.79 3/4. December futures were also down 3/4 cents to $4.01 1/4. December futures bears appeared to be making easy work of the $4.00 mark early Wednesday, before late-session bargain buyers stepped in to send prices back above the key level at least for now. For reference, the December 2024 board traded to a low price of $3.85 last August before reversing on late-season dryness, which ultimately trimmed the top end off U.S. yields as well. Seasonally speaking, August and September is a period where markets tend to look for a low.

Wednesday's EIA Petroleum Status report showed ethanol production in the U.S. averaged 1.081 million barrels per day last week, a decline of 15,000 barrels per day from the prior week's average. Last Friday, USDA reported the June monthly corn grind for ethanol in the U.S. totaled just under 448 million bushels (mb), lower than I had anticipated. Corn usage for ethanol through the marketing season has steadily lost its lead over 2023-24 after a very hot start last fall and is now just a 0.2% lead over last year, with USDA forecasting a 0.4% year-over-year increase. July and August are always wild cards for ethanol production, but at this rate, it seems unlikely that the U.S. will hit the USDA goal of 5.5 billion bushels in 2024-25. In positive news, ethanol margins remain steady with this week's USDA coproducts report showing that a bushel of corn produces $6.64 worth of products value in the Eastern Corn Belt. Ethanol exports are also strong, with June exports setting a monthly record at 173.7 million gallons. Ethanol exports to date are up 10%.

Traders will likely begin to look ahead to next week's WASDE report, where an increase in the corn yield estimate seems likely given the growing conditions thus far. That being said, I don't expect as bearish a forecast as compared to some of the private estimates being released in recent days, as USDA tends to slow play these developments, especially ahead of harvest. Perhaps this will serve as an opportunity for traders and algorithms to reset and offer some support to sinking prices. The aspect of next week's report that does keep me somewhat nervous is what USDA will find for old crop stocks, with the old crop price and spread action through summer certainly pointing to more corn relative to demand than has been estimated in this year's WASDE reports thus far.

The DTN National Corn Index finished Tuesday at $3.65. Wednesday's futures close and implied corn basis of 16 cents under the September board would indicate the Index on Wednesday afternoon to be near $3.63.

September soybeans fell 6 cents on Wednesday to $9.65 1/2. November soybeans were down 6 1/4 cents to $9.84 1/2. An early attempt higher in the soybean market was again met with fierce selling, dropping prices closer to the bearish objective of the early April low in the mid $9.70s for the November board.

Early strength in the soybean market can likely be attributed to ongoing rumors that the U.S. and China are closing in on an agreement, although traders may be losing some faith in these assertions as the weeks keep coming and going with no confirmed soybean business with China for the new crop season. Soybean oil futures were also able to trade higher on Wednesday, primarily on wider energy market strength at mid-week. Late session selling can most likely be tied to early yield forecasts from private firms, all of which are coming in above USDA's official record 52.5 bpa forecast.

The next few weeks of weather will be important for the soybean crop. Temperatures are slated to be above average across the majority of key growing regions, while rainfall chances are certainly present but may be scattered in some regions. The good news is that soil moisture levels through the wet July should be adequate to allow crops to sustain through a period of dryness if it comes to that.

The DTN National Soybean Index finished Tuesday at $9.34. Wednesday's futures close and implied soybean basis of 57 cents under the November board would indicate the Index on Wednesday afternoon to be near $9.28.

September Kansas City futures closed up 7 cents to $5.11 1/2 on Wednesday. Chicago futures were quiet, trading 1/4 cents higher on September futures. While MIAX Minneapolis spring wheat futures continued to struggle to find upward momentum, with the September contract down 1 1/2 cents in a quiet, narrow session. September KC futures were able to rebound from ugly price action on Tuesday, which set the lowest close for the most active hard red contract in just under five years. The short-term bullish target would be a pullback towards the 20-day moving average near $5.22 3/4.

In world wheat news, harvest is progressing in Russia with mixed results. The weekly International Grains Council (IGC) write-up noted improved yield prospects as harvest moves to the central regions, but also the potential for quality issues, namely low test weight. Private group SovEcon lowered its production forecast to 83.3 million metric tons (mmt), just a touch below the USDA July estimate of 83.5 mmt. Overall, traders in the marketplace are viewing a steady Russian crop, improved EU crop and good early prospects for both Argentine and Australian crops due later in 2025 as reasons for little concern regarding wheat availability. In good news, U.S. wheat offers remain competitive, with IGC noting hard red Gulf offers last week at $228 per ton, lower than most competing offers in their weekly rundown.

The DTN National HRW Index finished Tuesday at $4.52, while the DTN National HRS Index was at $5.27. Wednesday's futures close an implied basis of 53 cents under the September board for HRW, and 43 cents under the September board for HRS, would indicate the indices for Wednesday afternoon to be near $4.59 and $5.25, respectively.

Commodity markets daily recap

More than 1,600 Hormel workers have filed a class action lawsuit alleging that the meat processor violated Minnesota’s earned sick and safe time law for 14 months by forcing workers to use vacation time if they called in sick. Tim Louris, the attorney representing the workers at the Austin, Minnesota, plant, said Hormel refused to give most of the production, maintenance, and quality control employees additional paid leave when the sick and safe time law took effect last year. 

The sick and safe time law requires employers to provide one hour of paid leave for every 30 hours worked – up to six days a year for a full-time employee. The workers’ union, challenged Hormel, and a labor arbitrator ruled earlier this year that the company couldn’t use paid vacation to comply with the state’s law. Hormel said in a statement that it will not comment on pending litigation. 

Workers sue Hormel Foods over sick leave

The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer declined in July as farmer sentiment continued to weaken. The barometer fell 11 points from June to register at 135 in July, a reading that came from U.S. farmers’ weaker perceptions of both current conditions and future expectations. The July Current Conditions Index dropped 17 points from the previous month to 127.  The Future Expectations Index posted a smaller drop of seven points to 139. 

Driving the weaker income prospects for 2025 were farmers’ assessments of current conditions. Despite lower scores on the three principal farmer sentiment indexes, sentiment still remains notably higher than at the same time a year ago. Almost three-fourths of the July survey respondents reported that U.S. policy is headed in the right direction. The Farm Financial Performance Index reflected concerns about weak income prospects for 2025, falling 14 points from June to 90. The Farmland Value Expectations Index was also lower. 

Farmer sentiment grows weaker

September corn closed down 5 1/2 cents and December corn was down 5 cents. September soybeans closed down 3 3/4 cents and November soybeans were down 3 3/4 cents. September KC wheat closed down 12 1/2 cents, September Chicago wheat was down 8 1/2 cents, September Minneapolis wheat was down 2 3/4 cents.

What bullish spark there was in the soybean market early Tuesday was quick to fade by midmorning as prices turned lower amid bearish influence from surrounding ag markets. Corn futures fell once again to new lows as there is just little bullish news to be found to break traders' focus on recent unveiling of a number of private yield estimates which are all coming in well above the USDA trendline forecast. For wheat markets, a fresh burst of harvest pressure sank winter wheat varieties Tuesday, as traders see little reason for concern regarding available wheat supplies in the immediate future. Outside markets for Tuesday also leaned negatively on ag interests, with crude oil markets still feeling the weight of heightened production from OPEC+. Meanwhile equities turned lower as well by midmorning, caught between growth prospects from an assumed impending interest rate cut in the next FOMC meeting in September and lingering uncertainty regarding the next step in the tariff/trade war.

The live cattle complex was off to a sporty rally throughout the day, as traders seem to be more confident in the market's fundamental footing than they were on Monday. There are a few asking prices now noted in the South at $238 to $240, but the North continues to remain quiet. It's unlikely that any cash cattle trade will develop until Thursday or Friday. The market still has some upward room to trade as the resistance plane sits at $230.

The feeder cattle complex had an aggressive rally for the day as all of the contracts traded $5.00 and more higher for the bulk of the session. More than anything, it seems as though traders have shaken the jitters they possessed on Monday and are now back to believing in the market's robust fundamental position. Feeder cattle demand in the countryside hasn't wavered whatsoever, and doesn't seem to care what the board is doing, as buyers know that supplies are thin and that that isn't going to change any time soon.

The lean hog complex continued to trade higher into Tuesday's closing bell as traders have found enough support in the marketplace to blow past the market's previous resistance at $91.00. It's difficult to say where traders are getting this extra momentum from, as we can't see what pork demand is doing because of packers' failure to submit data this morning, but the slight improvement in the cash market is surely helping.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/08/05142825/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

Farm real estate prices rose year-over-year nationally, as every state saw gains in land values, according to an annual report from the Ag Department. The value of land and buildings on farms rose 4.3% this year, to $4,350, the agency said after a survey of more than 28,000 operations conducted April–June. Cropland costs increased 4.7%, to $5,830 an acre, and pasture value rose 4.9%, to $1,920 an acre. 

Iowa ag land was valued at $9,790 an acre, up 3.9% on an annual basis, and Illinois saw gains of 2.6%, to $8,930 an acre. In Missouri, farmland values remain relatively stable overall, averaging $8,596 per acre, only slightly higher from the previous year. Nebraska land values rose to $4,250 an acre versus $4,080 a year earlier. Kansas ag real estate increased 4.4%, to $3,100 an acre, on average.&nbsp;Iowa and Illinois are the biggest producers of corn and soybeans in the U.S.

Farm real estate prices up year-over-year

While biological and chemical threats to corn yields are well understood, a more technological conflict has been center: farm equipment repair availability. In what seems to be a direct response to antitrust allegations in the ongoing FTC v. John Deere right-to-repair lawsuit, the equipment giant has unveiled a revamped digital service platform aimed at giving equipment owners greater control over the maintenance, diagnostics, and repair of their machinery. 

The new tool, Operations Center PRO Service, is now accessible through the John Deere Operations Center app for equipment owners in the U.S. and Canada. It is designed to allow equipment owners to access repair diagnostics and service data. Available via annual subscription starting at $195 per machine. Deere says development of the tool supports customer self-repair.

Repair rights at crossroads as Deere launches diagnostics tool 

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

Row-crop futures were quiet but mostly positive for the session Monday, except corn futures, which fell from early gains ahead of anticipated steady to higher crop ratings from the USDA later Monday afternoon. Corn and soybean markets in general find themselves in a similar situation compared to this point last year, with large yield ideas driving prices lower. Traders this time around will again have to decide whether to continue the selloff or display heightened caution this year following last year's yield falloff through fall. Outside markets were mixed with equities surging in a correction of Friday's bearish action, while energy markets continue to plummet from last week's monthly highs amid renewed tariff uncertainty specifically as it pertains to Russia and their oil partners, as well as an additional OPEC+ production increase for September announced on Sunday.

The live cattle complex is trading mixed as traders continue to believe in and see the robust support of the cattle market's fundamental position, but at the same time, traders also are aware of the elevated position of the futures complex and don't want to welcome any more unwanted volatility into the marketplace. After gapping higher at the open then faltering midday, the contracts ultimately finished softly higher.

Originally, the feeder cattle complex was traded higher, but as the day has progressed, traders seemed less confident, which consequently had the feeder cattle complex trading lower the second half of the day right until the closing bell when they rallied and finished modestly higher, just like the fat cattle. The spot September contract is less than $10.00 away from its resistance threshold, which is slightly limiting to traders, as they aren't certain whether they possess enough support to challenge that threshold.

The lean hog complex continued to grind higher as traders are pleased with the continued note of stronger pork demand and are appearing willing to challenge the market's nearby resistance threshold at $91.00 in the spot October contract. It will remain imperative that demand is undoubtedly supportive if traders are to be able to continue this rally, because without fundamental support, the market won't likely be able to trade much higher.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/08/04145304/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

For the first time in more than two decades, Australia will accept shipments of fresh and frozen U.S. beef. Kent Bacus, executive director of government affairs with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, says this is a huge win. “There’s been really no scientific justification to keep us out," and “This is just a lot of protection and these regulatory burdens we’ve had to overcome.” Bacus says Australia isn’t likely to be a huge export market for U.S. beef, but it’s really about opportunities in other countries."

“The fact is we are going to continue to be very competitive against the Australians in those markets.” While the U.S. hasn’t exported beef to Australia since the trade agreement between the two countries was implemented in 2005, Australia has sold more than $28.7 billion worth of its beef to the U.S.

Australia reopening its market to U.S. beef 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced loan interest rates for August 2025, those rates were effective Aug. 1st. Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs. FSA offers farm ownership, operating and emergency loans with favorable interest rates and terms to help eligible agricultural producers obtain financing needed to start, expand or maintain a family agricultural operation.

FSA also offers guaranteed loans through commercial lenders at rates set by those lenders.  Additionally, FSA provides low-interest financing to producers to build or upgrade on-farm storage facilities and purchase handling equipment and loans that provide interim financing to help producers meet cash flow needs without having to sell their commodities when market prices are low. To access an interactive online, step-by-step guide through the loan process, visit the Loan Assistance Tool at <a href="https://www.farmers.gov/loans">farmers.gov</a>.

USDA announces August 2025 lending rates for producers

September corn closed down 4 1/2 cents and December corn was down 3 cents. September soybeans closed unchanged, and November soybeans were unchanged. September KC wheat closed down 7 1/2 cents, September Chicago wheat was down 6 1/2 cents, September Minneapolis wheat was down 5 1/2 cents.

September corn closed down 10 cents and December corn was down 8 1/4 cents. September soybeans closed down 32 1/2 cents and November soybeans were down 31 3/4 cents. September KC wheat closed down 7 3/4 cents, September Chicago wheat was down 21 1/2 cents and September Minneapolis wheat was down 12 1/2 cents.

Ag markets were mixed to close the week in a quiet session in which macroeconomic news was in the spotlight. The Aug. 1 deadline for tariffs arrived at midnight Friday morning, with the Trump administration announcing a 7-day grace period before newly announced sweeping tariffs will take effect. Adding to investor worries on Friday was a surprisingly shaky July jobs report which showed a slowdown in job creation through early summer. The thus-far resilient labor market in 2025 has been a key pillar which the Fed has pointed to in its decisions to hold rates steady, with the market now widely expecting a series of cuts later this fall. As for ag markets, the direct effects of Friday's tariff announcements remain relatively unknown, as many key trading partners had previously struck deals with the Trump administration, while top partners Canada and Mexico will still get exemptions for goods under USMCA. The initial weakness for Friday stemmed heavily from the energy sector, where a sharp moves lower in crude oil futures as well as RBOB gasoline and diesel were felt in ag markets such as soybean oil and corn.

Following Thursday's technical turbulence, the live cattle complex got back to trading higher as traders were pleased to see the fed cash cattle market trading higher. A light trade has been reported in Kansas at $236, which is $1.00 higher than Thursday's trade and $3.00 higher than last week's weighted average. A few deals have also been reported in Texas at $235, which is fully steady with Thursday's trade. Asking prices remain firm in the South at $236 plus and in the North at $384 plus. More trade will likely develop throughout the afternoon, and once again, feedlot managers have been rewarded for their patient willingness to trade cattle later in the week as packers have upped their bids.

The feeder cattle complex also traded higher as traders have regained their focus from sheer panic and chaos, to one that's more clear and more stable, and is fixated on the current thriving performance of the cattle complex. Even though the futures complex dived lower Thursday afternoon, that hasn't affected demand in the countryside whatsoever.

The lean hog complex is trading higher into Friday's noon hour as traders are pleased with the uptick in pork demand late this week and are also grateful for the stability found throughout the futures complex, as traders have seemed to establish a new bottom in the market for at least this current move. August lean hogs are up $0.12 at $107.25, October lean hogs are up $0.40 at $89.97 and December lean hogs are up $0.35 at $82.07. Given that packers were so aggressive in the market earlier this week, it's unlikely that they'll do much more buying this afternoon, as their needs are fulfilled in the cash sector.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/08/01150741/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

RENO COUNTY — A former USD 309 Nickerson school district employee is in custody for alleged child sex crimes.

Authorities arrested Ryan Stoecklein, 29, on Wednesday and just before 11a.m., booked him into the Reno County jail on requested charges of sexual exploitation of a child under 18 and attempted unlawful sexual relations, according to the county arrest report.

According to the complaint, "Between January 1 and March 24, 2025, in Reno County, Kansas, Ryan James Stoecklein did unlawfully and feloniously attempt to engage in consensual sexual intercourse and lewd fondling or touching with a person who was a student enrolled at the school where the offender was employed, to wit: Nickerson High School, who was 16 or more years of age, to-wit: JMFG (DOB: xx/xx/2007), and who was not married to the offender, while the offender was a teacher or other person in a position of authority, by completing an overt act towards the perpetration of the crime, done by a person who intended to commit such crime but failed in the perpetration thereof or was prevented or intercepted in executing such crime, a severity level 7 person felony."

<a href="https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/kake.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/b8/4b85d371-d587-4e69-ba84-ad3cc6e6dfa4/6893e1163ec77.pdf.pdf">Click here to read the full complaint.</a>

Stoecklein is being held on a $120,000 bond and will make a court appearance on Thursday.

Former Kan. school employee accused sex crimes with student

OKLAHOMA CITY – A woman is going to spend time in a federal prison for forgery. Amanda Christine Dailey, 37,&nbsp;of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve six months in federal prison for forging the signature of a federal judge, according to&nbsp; U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

According to public records, in August 2022, Dailey filed a petition for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. A year later, in August 2023, Dailey purchased a vehicle from a car dealership, which she financed in part with a loan from a federal credit union. Public records reflect that, in order to be approved for financing, Dailey presented a false order which purported to show the discharge of her Chapter 13 bankruptcy proceedings. In reality, Dailey had not been granted a discharge, and the false order she presented included the forged signature of Judge Sarah A. Hall, Chief United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma.

On October 1, 2024, a federal grand jury charged Dailey with forging a signature of a federal judge. Dailey pleaded guilty on January 16, 2025, and admitted she forged a court order with Judge Hall’s signature.

At the sentencing hearing on July 31, 2025, U.S. District Judge Charles Goodwin sentenced Dailey to serve six months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Goodwin noted the seriousness of the offense, and the need to deter Dailey and others from perpetrating similar offenses in the future.

Forging judge's signature lands woman in federal prison

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflecto</a>r

LENEXA — Melanie Arroyo lives in two worlds.

There’s the one where the Lenexa City Council member has to “assimilate and perform” like her white counterparts, she said. Then there’s the authentic world, where she is aware of how vulnerable she is in this country, “simply because I’m brown and because I have an accent.”

At Tuesday night’s city council meeting, which was packed with residents who were upset about last week’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2025-07-31/released-immigration-raids-el-toro-loco-restaurant-lenexa-kansas-city-homeland-security" target="_blank">raid by federal authorities</a>&nbsp;at El Toro Loco restaurants in Lenexa and Kansas City, Kansas, Arroyo revealed that city police had recently investigated her citizenship status and required her to prove her citizenship.

It started with someone complaining to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation about testimony Arroyo submitted in February to a state Senate committee in opposition to a bill that would eliminate in-state tuition for immigrants. The individual — whom the KBI declined to identify — questioned whether Arroyo was a U.S. citizen and eligible to hold public office.

The KBI referred the complaint to Lenexa police, who questioned Arroyo. She hired an attorney and presented documentation from her 2018 naturalization. Police closed the case last week, two days before the El Toro Loco raids.

For Arroyo, the police inquiry was a painful reminder that a single disgruntled resident can disrupt her life by making a false allegation.

Arroyo told Kansas Reflector she decided to talk about her experience after the unrelated federal raid in Lenexa, which raised questions about whether agents had violated the rights of workers who were detained without regard for whether they had committed a crime, had a lawful immigration status, or were U.S. citizens.

Arroyo said the two situations were connected only by the underlying motive, “which is xenophobia.”

“I felt like I had this obligation to come forward with my story, to let people know in Kansas City that everybody needs to wake the f*** up,” Arroyo said. “You guys are still living in 2024, thinking that our judicial processes are intact, and they’re not. I’m living in the summer of 2025, being directly impacted by this, and so we need to adapt to the circumstances that we’re in. And I don’t know what that looks like. I don’t know what the solutions are.”

Those who attended Tuesday night’s council meeting gasped when Arroyo revealed the police inquiry. They responded to her remarks with a standing ovation that lasted 20 seconds before Mayor Julie Sayers restored order with her gavel.

Councilwoman Courtney Eiterich expressed solidarity with Arroyo. Eiterich said her husband is an immigrant and that they have had conversations about whether he needs to keep naturalization papers with him.

In Lenexa and across the country, Eiterich said, authorities carrying out President Donald Trump’s campaign promise of mass deportations are violating constitutional rights with the support of federal courts.

“I teach high school government, and this is really difficult for me to wrap my head around and try to explain to my students how this is happening and what is our role in trying to fix it. And I don’t have any answers,” Eiterich said.

Lenexa city attorney Sean McLaughlin defended the police investigation of Arroyo.

He said Arroyo’s testimony before the Legislature indicated she had overstayed her visa and didn’t acknowledge her naturalization. He pointed to a city ordinance that requires office holders to be citizens.

“We felt we had no choice but to investigate the matter because it is the city’s obligation to ensure compliance with our own ordinances,” McLaughlin told the council.

“We stand behind our actions,” he added.

Arroyo submitted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/committees/ctte_s_fed_st_1/documents/testimony/20250227_25.pdf" target="_blank">written testimony</a>&nbsp;in opposition to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb254/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 254</a>, which was supported by Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach. A Senate committee held&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/03/kansas-republicans-punt-immigration-bill-after-kicking-opponents-out-of-hearing/">a contentious hearing on the proposal</a>&nbsp;in February and advanced the bill in March, but the full Senate never gave it consideration.

The testimony describes her experience growing up as “an undocumented immigrant girl” in the Kansas City area who didn’t speak fluent English. She said she was able to enroll in Kansas universities “with the condition that I resolved my immigration status.” She studied studio art and psychology at the University of Saint Mary and Johnson County Community College, then earned master’s degrees in clinical counseling and art therapy at Emporia State University.

Melissa Underwood, a spokeswoman for the KBI, said a Johnson County resident referenced Arroyo’s testimony in a voicemail left at the agency’s Lenexa office. The KBI referred the matter to city police, Underwood said, because the state agency typically doesn’t investigate immigration-related matters. Underwood said the complaint didn’t come from Kobach.

“The information was sent to the Lenexa Police Department for follow-up as they deemed appropriate,” Underwood said.

In a brief interview after the city council meeting, McLaughlin acknowledged there was no evidence to support a complaint about Arroyo’s citizenship status.

But, he said, “just because evidence doesn’t exist doesn’t mean we don’t investigate.”

Two dozen community members voiced concerns to the council about the investigation of Arroyo and the raid on a local restaurant.

They included Kansas Rep. Susan Ruiz, LGBTQ+ activist Jae Moyer, immigration attorney Anne Parelkar, two pastors, and Roeland Park City Council member Jen Hill, who was Arroyo’s 8th grade English teacher in 2005.

Even then, Hill said, Arroyo’s “voice carried strength, clarity and purpose.”

“It’s because I know her so well that I’m both saddened and outraged by the recent false allegations questioning her citizenship,” Hill said. “These claims are not only entirely unfounded, they are a blatant attempt to discredit her based on her ethnicity, rather than recognizing the immense value of her service and her character.”

Sara Rohleder told the council this was the first local government meeting she had ever attended, and “that’s saying a lot.” She referenced the approximately 150 people who attended the meeting and pointed out that many of them were in the 18-25 age range.

“I’m very concerned,” Rohleder&nbsp; said. “I don’t know what future I have. I don’t know what future my cousins have, who are younger than me. I think this sets a very dangerous precedent. I think this is very, very serious, and I really strongly feel — I honestly feel comfort in knowing that it’s not just me who’s feeling this, because it’s a very isolating time. Look at all these people. Everyone’s here because they care about what’s going on.”

Muñeca Nieves described herself as a proud Afro-Caribbean woman who works for the federal government. She said she had lost 40 pounds by walking to work every day, but&nbsp;“I don’t do it anymore, because I’m brown.”

“Every time a black SUV comes by, I get scared,” Nieves said.

She also said she was “extremely disappointed” in the Lenexa city attorney’s insistence that police were just “following the rules” when they investigated Arroyo.

“Those rules equate to racial profiling,” Nieves said, “which is against the law.”

Lenexa Police Chief Dawn Layman addressed the council at the end of the meeting and&nbsp;acknowledged the hurt expressed by Arroyo.

“I apologize if I made you feel that way,” Layman told her.

Layman said Homeland Security Investigations notified her a week in advance that they would execute a criminal search warrants, authorized by a federal judge, at the El Toro Loco in Lenexa. They mutually agreed that Lenexa police officers would not be on site, she said.

She said the federal raids were related to an ongoing investigation into labor exploitation.

Layman said her department is focused on public safety and serving all who live, work and visit Lenexa, regardless of immigration status.

“Our responsibility is to protect the public, uphold the law, maintain public order and serve our community with honor, integrity and professionalism, and that is in regardless of our personal beliefs or opinion,” Layman said.

In an interview, Arroyo said Layman was unaware of the political and historical weight of asking someone for their papers. But Arroyo also stressed that she doesn’t think Lenexa police are the problem.

“My concern is that we are not aware of the times that we’re living in,” Arroyo said, “and we’re failing to meet the moment.”

Police investigate a Kansas city council member’s citizenship after a complaint left via voicemail

Five soldiers were shot but are in stable condition

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/author/ross-williams/">Ross Williams</a> <a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/">Georgia Recorder</a>

An Army sergeant who is accused of opening fire on five of his fellow soldiers at Fort Stewart in southeast Georgia Wednesday used his personal weapon in the shooting, according to the installation’s commanding general.

Sgt. Quornelius Radford, who was assigned to a unit within the second Brigade Combat Team, allegedly shot five soldiers late Wednesday morning, according to Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the installation’s commanding general. All five victims were in stable condition.

Lubas, the installation’s commanding general, said other soldiers were able to physically subdue Radford until law enforcement officers arrived and took Radford into custody nearly 40 minutes later.

“The shooting occurred at the soldier’s place of work. It did involve his co-workers,” Lubas told reporters Wednesday afternoon. “We’re still not certain about the motivations, but again, he’s been interviewed by Army investigators, and we believe we’ll gain more information here shortly.”

Lubas said the weapon used in the shooting is believed to be a personal handgun, but he said how the firearm ended up at the workplace is still under investigation.

“I’m very confident in the security of this installation. We’ve got a great partnership with local law enforcement,” Lubas said. “As you can see here at our gates, we have armed guards in protective equipment.

“This one’s a bit difficult, and we’re going to have to determine how he was able to get a handgun to his place of place of duty,” he said.

Law enforcement was dispatched for a possible shooting at 10:56 a.m., the base was placed on lock down at 11:04, medical personnel were dispatched at 11:09 and a suspect was apprehended at 11:35 a.m.

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