St. Joseph Police report that two individuals are in critical condition after a serious vehicle crash early Thursday morning. 

St. Joseph Police report that around 5:30 on Thursday morning officers responded to a serious motor vehicle crash at the intersection of Messanie Street and Meadow Lane.  Officers say a preliminary investigation reveals that a vehicle that contained four individuals, one a juvenile, was traveling westbound on Messanie when it collided into a car being driven by a single driver that was turning east onto Meadow Lane.  

All involved in the crash were transported to Mosaic Life Care with moderate to severe injuries.  Two remain at Mosaic in critical condition St. Joseph Police report.

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

Two in critical condition after early morning St. Joseph crash

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a&nbsp; suspect for an alleged violent domestic incident.

Just after 8:30p.m. Tuesday, police&nbsp;responded to a disturbance in the 700 block S Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp; It was determined the disturbance had occurred between two mn who were known to each other and both had been at a residence there. 

One of the men, a 30-year-old victim, had left the scene and had been taken to Amberwell Hospital by a family member to be treated for injuries sustained during the altercation. The victim had sustained head and facial injuries from being struck with fists and kicked. 

Following an investigation, police took 40-year-old Ryan White into custody on requested charges of aggravated battery.

Police: Kan. man's violent attack sent victim to a hospital

A group raising money in hopes of building a new pool facility in Andrew County saw success during its first fundraiser over the weekend.  

The group Andrew County Aquatics Initiative set out to raise $50,000 during the Splash Bash fundraiser, but by the end of Saturday, raised nearly $60,000.  

Chairperson Diane Gould says the goal of $50,000 was a sort of litmus test from the group, making sure they were doing the right thing 

"Are we representing a loud voice in our community?  We thought that if we could hit that $50,000 mark at our first kickoff event, we know that we are heading in the right direction and we’re doing the right thing,” Gould tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. 

The group was formed in response to the Savannah Parks and Recreation department announcing this would be the final summer for the pool which has been open for more than 60 years.  

Gould says the goal of the initiative is to build a new facility, which would serve not only Savannah, but all of Andrew County, as well as the surrounding area. 

Gould says though, in the quest to build a new pool facility, while that money helps clear the first hurdle it's not nearly enough for what they need. 

"We feel like we’re getting ready to eat an elephant but we’re going to eat it one bite at a time,” Gould explains.  “So, we are in the process of applying for a grant for $500,000, if we can raise $500,000 it would be matched dollar for dollar by the Land and Water Conservation fund, and that’s actually the same grant that built our pool initially back in 1964.” 

Gould says if they hope to build something comparable to what is currently in Savannah, the cost of the project could be around $4.5 million. 

Gould says the ultimate goal with the new facility would be to continue offering those much-needed outdoor pool spaces that are limited in the area. 

"Family, fun, music playing, kids socializing type of venue,” Gould says.  “It’s the only amenity in our area where kids can come and spend their whole day and be supervises and mentored and work on their swimming skills as well as their life skills.” 

Gould also sees the new facility as a complementary piece to the new indoor facility coming to the YMCA in St. Joseph in the future.

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

Successful fundraiser helps clear first hurdle towards new pool in Andrew County

Before his talk tonight at Wyatt Park Baptist Church at the Patriot Day Tribute, Captain Guy Gruters visited the 139th Airlift Wing at Rosecrans. 

Base commander Colonel Barrett Golden says it means a lot to have someone with Gruters experience come onto the base and give young airmen motivation as they train 

"And you do that through providing history,” Golden tells reporters.  “And we always talk about you want to do lessons learned and not lessons observed, well if you can provide some of those lessons learned that he provided, it gives airmen some inspiration to continue to do their job and be prideful of how they serve their country.” 

Gruters says it meant a lot to him as well to get to speak to so many young people preparing to serve the country 

"I love service people, I just really do, they put their life on the line for the country and for each other and I think the world of them,” Gruters says. 

Gruters is a retired Air Force Captain who was taken prisoner during the Vietnam War and is the subject of the book Faith Conquers Through Courage Tested.   

The name of the book is also the name of Gruters talk tonight and Gruters hopes people take two things away from the talk. 

"If you trust in God everything will turn out ok, but you have to pray to have that happen,” Gruters explains.  “Another wards the basic thing is, whether it’s macro or micro, as a country or as an individual, you have to pray and do the right thing and then just trust God for the outcome because it’ll be good.” 

Golden says he hopes hearing the stories of how Gruters unit never quit, despite the hardships, motivates those young servicemen who attended 

"So, I think it inspires some of our airmen to absolutely never quite in the most dire of circumstances,” Golden says. 

During his visit to the 139th Gruters got a mission brief on the operations at the air guard base.  

Golden says it's special to be able to advocate for the base to an American hero like Gruters 

"Not only would he potentially take that forward and then maybe perhaps when he’s at the national level can go you know I just saw an amazing place like the 139th Airlift Wing and they have this thing called the Advanced Airlifts Tactics Training Center, sure that’s like a one off opportunity for him to advocate for us,” Golden says. 

But what Golden is more prideful to have shown off to Gruters is the history of the base, and how far they've come with the Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center 

"From four years ago to know in the Advanced Airlifts Tactics Training Center, and to see the smile on his face that we’re still getting after things, we’re still the best United States Air Force, the best Air National Guard in the entire world,” Golden explains. 

Gruters, and others, will speak tonight at Wyatt Park Baptist Church beginning at 6pm during the Patriot Day Tribute.  Doors open at 5pm. 

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

Former POW, speaking in St. Joseph tonight, inspires 139th

HOLT COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before noon Wednesday in Holt County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Nissan Rogue driven by a 26-year-old Lee's Summit woman was northbound on Interstate 29 five miles east of Oregon. The rear-ended a MODOT dump truckd driven by a 52-year-old Forest City man that was stopped in the left lane.

Atchison-Holt EMS transported the Nissan driver to Mosaic Life Care. The drump truck driver was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Mo. woman injured after SUV rear-ends a MODOT dump truck

KFEQ Morning Sports

KFEQ Morning News

Free speech advocates and internet companies assailed the rule as an attack on First Amendment rights. Bailey, now co-deputy director of the FBI, withdrew the rule but claimed it did not infringe free speech

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>

One of former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s headline-grabbing actions — a rule that would have required social media companies to provide third-party content moderators — was quietly dropped just before he resigned.

Bailey became co-<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/18/andrew-bailey-stepping-down-as-missouri-attorney-general-for-job-in-trump-administration/">deputy director of the FBI</a>&nbsp;on Monday and was&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/09/catherine-hanaway-missouri-attorney-general-andrew-bailey/">replaced as attorney general by Catherine Hanaway</a>. The rule for social media companies was announced in May and hailed by Bailey as a protection for individual free speech on popular platforms.

“This rule marks the beginning of a sustained effort to dismantle the ‘Big Brother’ speech-control machinery of corporate America,” Bailey said in a May 6 news release.

The proposed rules were published in the Missouri Register on June 16. Comments closed on July 16, opening a 59-day window for the next step, filing the proposal with the legislature’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.&nbsp;

The rule was filed with the committee but withdrawn on Friday. Bailey’s office did not put out a news release about the decision to withdraw the rule.

The proposal sought to use the attorney general’s authority under Missouri’s consumer protection laws to impose the requirements. Any user would be allowed to select a content moderator of their choosing — either the system provided by the social media platform or a third party — when they created an account and every six months it is active.

Free speech advocates and lobbying groups for the communications industry filed comments arguing Bailey had overstepped his authority, was imposing unworkable requirements and violated the free speech rights of the social media providers.

“This rule is economically inefficient, technically unworkable and legally vulnerable, representing a regulatory solution that is demonstrably worse than the problems it purports to address,” the&nbsp;<a href="https://laweconcenter.org/resources/icle-comments-to-missouri-attorney-general-on-moderator-choice-rule/" target="_blank">International Center for Law &amp; Economics</a>, a Portland, Oregon,-based think tank, said in its comments.

The rule, the&nbsp;<a href="https://ccianet.org/news/2025/07/ccia-opposes-missouri-rules-that-would-undermine-content-moderation-and-threaten-online-safety/" target="_blank">Computer &amp; Communications Industry Association</a>&nbsp;said in its comments, would force platforms to allow outside entities to manage content without oversight or privacy protections.&nbsp;

“This approach would make it harder to remove scams, harassment, and other illegal or dangerous content, while violating websites’ First Amendment right to decide what speech they host,” said the association, which is the lobbying arm of the computer industry.

And NetChoice, a trade association of online businesses that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/2023/22-277" target="_blank">successfully sued</a>&nbsp;to block laws in Florida and Texas that had similar objective, said in its comments that Bailey had misunderstood the U.S. Supreme Court decision in its favor.

In that ruling, the court said the Florida and Texas laws violate the First Amendment rights social media companies enjoy as publishers of content.&nbsp;

NetChoice wrote in its comments that “rather than respecting regulated websites’ First Amendment rights recognized in (the court decision), the rule would trample over those protections.”

In the withdrawal notice, the attorney general’s office said it agreed with the concerns from commenters about the feasibility of implementing the rule as drafted and that more work would be required.

“The attorney general’s decision to withdraw this rulemaking,” the notice stated, “is not due to comments suggesting he lacks legal authority to issue the rule.”

Former Missouri AG shelves rule on social media moderation as he leaves office

President Donald Trump spoke to GOP state senators during a caucus meeting and later in the day they moved to shut down debate over new rules intended to make it easier to pass a new congressional map

Just hours after hearing from President Donald Trump during a caucus meeting, Republicans in the Missouri Senate showed they are&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/25/trump-white-house-pressing-missouri-republicans-to-redraw-congressional-map/">ready to please him</a>&nbsp;by shoving a new congressional district map to passage over opposition from Democrats.

The General Assembly is meeting in special session to revise the state’s eight congressional districts so Republicans are likely to win seven instead of the six they currently hold. The Missouri House has&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/09/missouri-house-passes-gerrymandered-congressional-map-limits-on-initiative-petitions/">already approved the map</a>&nbsp;sought by Trump, who on Tuesday demanded on social media that the Senate do the same.

“The Missouri Senate must pass this Map now, AS IS, to deliver a gigantic Victory for Republicans in the ‘Show Me State,’ and across the Country,” Trump wrote.

To push the bill to final passage by Friday, Republicans had to get the two bills passed in the House into position for committee hearings on Thursday. But before that could take place, the chamber had to vote on rules for the session and Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin rolled out revisions intended to make House bills the Senate’s top priority.

And to get those revisions passed, they voted to shut off debate — using a once-rare motion known as the previous question. This year saw a major break from tradition, when Republicans used the motion to slam through partisan priorities at the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/14/missouri-republicans-shut-down-senate-debate-to-pass-abortion-ban-repeal-sick-leave-law/">end of the regular session</a>&nbsp;in May.

It was the first time since 2017 when the previous question was used during a regular session.

The proposed rule changes triggered a Democratic-led debate that consumed two hours before Republicans forced a vote.

For about two hours, Democrats accused the Republicans of cheating by substituting the new rules instead of using the rules used&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/webPDFs/RuleBook.pdf" target="_blank">during this year’s regular session</a>&nbsp;— and for the veto session that took place just minutes before the chamber convened for the special session.

“For those of you that are going to be here for a few years, why would you give away your power just to make today a little bit easier?” said state Sen. Stephen Webber, a Democrat from Columbia. “That doesn’t make any sense, and it really saddens me, because I don’t know where it stops.”

The new rules were not distributed before the session convened and many Republicans were not informed in advance the changes were coming.

State Sen. Joe Nicola, a Republican from Independence, said he was given the new rules and the bill on congressional maps&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/09/missouri-house-passes-gerrymandered-congressional-map-limits-on-initiative-petitions/">approved in the Missouri House</a>&nbsp;with the expectation he would be an automatic vote in favor of both. But Webber’s point was valid, he said, and he’s not ready to go along.

“I’m nobody’s puppet. I will never be anybody’s puppet,” Nicola said. “I’m not going to come down here and be expected to rubber stamp anything. That is not what I was elected to do.”

But when the chamber voted on the previous question, Nicola went along.

The previous question motion is used commonly in the Missouri House, but until this year it was considered a last resort in the Senate. When the votes were held, Democrats started calling the presiding officer of the Senate “Speaker” instead of “President.”

“There are no speakers in the Missouri Senate,” said state Sen. Jason Bean of Holcomb, who was presiding at the time.

Following the vote, the House bills were read and the Senate will meet at 9 a.m. Thursday to move them to committees for hearings later in the day.

The Republicans’ target is the 5th Congressional District, currently held by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City, a Democrat who has been in office since 2005. The map being considered would split the district into pieces, putting portions in the 4th and 6th districts and adding enough Republican votes to what remains to flip the district to the GOP.

Gov. Mike Kehoe also wants lawmakers to pass a state constitutional amendment&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/08/missouri-house-advances-bill-to-make-it-harder-for-voters-to-amend-state-constitution/">raising the majority requirement</a>&nbsp;for passing constitutional amendments proposed by initiative petition.&nbsp;

Instead of a statewide majority deciding the questions, initiative proposals would have to win majorities statewide and in every congressional district. That would allow&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/04/as-few-as-5-of-voters-could-defeat-initiative-petitions-under-missouri-gop-legislation/">as few as 5% of voters</a>&nbsp;to decide the question.

But it is Trump’s insistence on a new congressional map to shore up the GOP’s shaky majority in the U.S. House that is the main focus of the special session.

During a caucus of the Republican senators Wednesday, Trump called Kehoe and spoke to the members through the governor’s phone.

State Sen. Nick Schroer, a Republican from Defiance, insisted in an interview that the special session was not called just because Trump wanted it. The proposed new map puts all of Schroer’s county into the 3rd Congressional District — it is now split between the 3rd and the 2nd districts — and he said that will keep a community together in the same district.

But when asked whether Kansas City, which is almost entirely in the 5th District but would have its population split among three in the proposed map, deserved the same consideration, Schroer said it did not.

“Donald Trump is encouraging Republicans to grow a spine, and stop bending the knee to the Democrats to avoid filibusters like we did in 2022,” Schroer said. “It’s really helped and it’s binding the Republican Party back together.”

After hearing from Trump, Missouri GOP muscle redistricting map forward in state Senate

Tomorrow Northwest Missouri State University will honor lives lost in the tragic events of 9/11  

The university will host a stair climb at Bearcat Stadium, to give students and community members the opportunity to honor the lives lost on that day.  

Coordinator for the Disaster and Emergency Management program at Northwest Travis Surprise says events like this are important to not only remember, but to help teach younger students  

"This is what happened and this is a really bad day inside of our lives that we lived through and then faced the consequences, not with just losing the firefighters and the first responders, but just also the chaos that ensued afterwards with 20 years of the global war on terrorism and all the other stuff that came along with it and the changes to our policy,” Surprise tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  “Basically, everything that’s happened now and in your life is somehow affected by what happened on that tragic day in 2001.” 

Additionally, Missouri Western State University is doing a stair climb at Spratt Stadium tomorrow  as well, challenging participants to climb the equivalent of the 110 flights of stairs found in the World Trade Centers, to honor the 3,000  lives lost on that tragic day.

Angie Osborn with the MoWest Military and Veteran's Office says it’s not only important to remember the event for its history, but also for the way Americans responded by coming together 

"There’s a lot of emotion that went into planning this event and trying to make sure that we’re honoring obviously all of the victims, but also all of the heroes that were there that day and continue to work on that site for months to come,” Osborn explains. 

During the stair climb, both universities will do special thing to pay tribute to the lives lost during the attacks on September 11th, 2001.  

Surprise says as students walk, the news ceremony from the day of the attack will play on the scoreboard at Bearcat Stadium. 

"And it’s really sombering to watch some of these kids who have never seen this before, and even some adults who have forgot, to watch and be like oh man those feelings I felt were real and I remember exactly what I was doing and how I felt that day,” Surprise says. 

Additionally, bells will toll from the center of campus at the four times planes crashed on that day.  

Osborn says climbers at Spratt Stadium will carry a picture of one of the people lost in the attacks 

"There’s a photo and it tells a little bit, a little clip about that person, and their age when they passed away,” Osborn says.  “And then we play some music as they climb.” 

Osborn says they will also pause at the time of each significant moment to talk about how America was feeling.  

MoWest's stair climb will begin with check in at 8am, the climb starting at 8:46 when the first plane struck.  Northwest's will go from 6 to 8pm.  Both are free to attend. 

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

Annual stair climb events to honor victims of 9/11 attacks

Missouri Western
State University’s nursing program has received a prestigious honor.

<a href="https://www.registerednursing.org/state/missouri/">Registerednursing.org</a>
has ranked it the best nursing school in the state.

“Missouri Western
being ranked number one in Missouri and we obviously have some pretty tough competition
out here in Missouri. So, we’re super proud that we are considered number one,”
Chelsea Norton, Nursing and Health Professions Admissions and Advisement
Director at Missouri Western, tells KFEQmmunity, adding MoWest’s small class
sizes and remarkable performance on the licensure tests propelled the program
to the top.

Assistant
Professor, Laura Nold, points out 98.8% of Missouri Western nursing graduates
pass the national licensure test the first time.

“We strive for
100% pass rates and we have been successful in that several times, which is not
a very common thing for programs to achieve that,” Nold says during her joint
appearance with Norton on KFEQmmunity.

Norton says that
high a rate in passing the NCLEX-RN test on the first try just isn’t common. 

“So, the national average
on pass rates (is) typically high 80s, low 90s percent,” according to Norton. “So,
to have so many cohorts that every single student who graduated passed, 100%,
on that first try is huge.”

Nold says the
program emphasizes hands-on learning in which students practice on mannequins
before moving into clinical experience.

“So, we give them
that opportunity before going and interacting with real patients and then they
learn from that,” Nold says. “And I have students frequently tell me, hey, I
really messed this up, but I learned so much when we debriefed. And debriefing
is very important process in that learning. We are able to talk through what
went wrong, what went well, and how do we fix it next time.”

Norton says the
ranking will help as Missouri Western recruit students to its nursing program.

“We have something
really special here that not a lot of people know about,” Norton says. “So, to
finally have that recognition and it to be official and it’s out there, it
feels like we’re finally being recognized for the amazing program that we are.”

You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

MoWest gets big honor:  nursing program ranked #1 in Missouri

December corn closed up 2 3/4 cents and March corn was up 2 3/4 cents. November soybeans closed up 8 1/4 cents and January soybeans were up 7 3/4 cents. December KC wheat closed up 3 cents, December Chicago wheat was up 6 1/2 cents, December Minneapolis wheat was up 2 cents.

Grain markets traded higher on Thursday as traders continue to keep corn and soybean prices within their weekly ranges ahead of USDA's September WASDE report due out Friday at 11 a.m. CDT. The soybean market in particular led the charge higher on Thursday, erasing the results of the previous two lower sessions. Outside markets on Thursday were mixed with softer energy markets, but equities surging to new records. Consumer Price Index data for August painted a picture of much more concerning inflation as compared to the PPI released on Wednesday. Meanwhile, jobless claims were a four-year high on Thursday, which could potentially set up a dichotomy when the Federal Reserve meets next week to decide on interest rates. I'd also like to point out in Wednesday's comment, I mistakenly pointed to the PPI data as the Fed's "preferred inflation gauge," which is actually the Personal Consumption data due out later this month, not the PPI data as I had mistakenly alluded to.

Again today, the live cattle complex stepped forward and traded higher as traders seem to agree that the market has seen enough downward pressure for the time being. Thankfully, again today we see that trades moved the contracts away from the market's 40-day moving average, which thankfully is happening because a close below that threshold would likely signal more downward pressure. Although there are again bids beginning to renew in the countryside, no new trade has developed. So far this week Northern dressed cattle have traded from $375 to $378, which is $5.00 to $8.00 lower than last week's weighted average. Asking prices for cattle left to trade remain firm at $243 in the South and $378 plus in the North.

Thankfully, the feeder cattle complex has now also found support as all of its contracts traded well over $1.00 higher. It's the market's nearby contracts that traded above $2.00 higher, while most of the deferred contracts are just trading $1.00 to $1.70 higher into Thursday's closing bell, but luckily, the gloomy pressure that rested above the market on Tuesday and Wednesday has seemed to fade away.

It's been noteworthy day for the lean hog complex as the market has found enough support to gingerly break above its resistance at $97.00 in the spot October contract. But surprisingly, this seems to be a move being made by traders alone, as the market isn't lending much fundamental support, the day's export report wasn't that fruitful and midday pork cutout values were lower.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/09/11144407/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

Commodity markets daily recap

The USDA’s Economic Research Service says net cash farm income, defined as gross cash income minus cash expenses, is forecast to increase by $36.5 billion, or 25 percent, from 2024 to $180.7 billion in 2025 inflation-adjusted dollars. U.S. net farm income is forecast to increase by $48.8 billion, or 37 percent, to $179.8 billion in 2025. Net farm income is a broader measure of farm sector profitability that incorporates non-cash items like changes in inventories, economic depreciation, and gross imputed rental income. 

Most of the projected increase in 2025 corresponds with higher direct government payments to farmers, projected to increase from $10.4 billion in 2024 to $40.5 billion in 2025. The increase is expected largely because of supplemental and ad hoc disaster assistance for farmers and ranchers from the American Relief Act of 2025, which authorized economic assistance payments to producers and payments for losses in 2023 and 2024. 

USDA says farm sector profits to grow in 2025

As farmers prepare to harvest what may be a record-large soybean crop, their largest export customer has yet to make a buy. Without a deal with China, North Dakota farmers may not get a bid for their soybeans. According to North Dakota Soybean Council Chair Jim Thompson, the local cash market is pushing growers to store their beans. 

North Dakota Soybean Growers Association President Justin Sherlock says the trade dispute with China needs to end. “Maybe it’s getting an interim trade deal with a country like China so we have somewhere to just physically move and sell those soybeans,” said Sherlock. He said farmers want the export markets restored first. “We just need to get rid of the crop right now, then we can figure out where we’re at financially as we go into the winter months and loan renewal season.”

Soybean leaders see export window narrowing with China

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

Ag futures and row crops specifically were generally on the lower side on Wednesday, but still within their recent trading ranges as traders aren't really looking to commit to big position swings ahead of USDA insight into the markets on Friday. Outside markets were mixed with energy futures higher after a fresh wave of geopolitical uncertainty after Poland reportedly shot down Russian drones in their airspace Tuesday night. Meanwhile, stock indices were mixed with the S&amp;P 500 surging to a new record amid a cool reading of the PPI Index on Wednesday, the Federal Reserve's favorite inflation gauge for guiding rate decisions, leaving less doubt in investors' minds that the Fed will cut rates in their meeting next week.

The live cattle complex&nbsp;traded softly higher into Wednesday's closing bell as the market is recovering some position lost from Tuesday's meltdown. The spot October contract continues to trade slightly above the market's 40-day moving average ($229.74), which will be a threshold to continue to monitor. If traders let the contracts fall below that point, a downward trend will likely continue. A few bids are currently on the table at $236 in Kansas and $235 live and $375 dressed in Nebraska, but no new sales have been reported following Tuesday's business. On Tuesday afternoon, there was a thin movement in the North at $378, which is $5.00 lower than the previous week's weighted average, but there weren't enough cattle traded to say that an accurate trend has been set for the week. Asking prices in the South are firm at $243 and in the North at $380.

The feeder cattle complex&nbsp;did not recover as much as the live cattle contracts, as only its nearby contracts traded higher while the deferred months continued to trade moderately lower. It seems as though Tuesday's sharp descent took the air out of the feeder cattle contracts, which is why they were slower to recover today.

The lean hog complex was chopping merely sideways as the market traders want to support the complex, but neither do they believe that they possess enough support to really push the contracts beyond the market's resistance. It is helpful that again this morning, the carcass price was higher, which is mainly because of the ham's $3.45 jump, and the belly's $2.71 gain.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/09/10150329/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

The U.S. agricultural trade deficit widened further in July, highlighting the challenge facing President Donald Trump as he vows to reverse the trend. Agricultural exports lagged imports by $4.97 billion in July, a gap 9% wider than a year earlier and the largest on record for the month. According to data released Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture That pushed the sector’s deficit to an unprecedented $33.6 billion for the first seven months of the year. 

The widening farm trade gap this year has been mostly driven by a jump in imports, just as Trump slapped tariffs on other countries in a push to shrink the overall deficit. That further cements a shift that has been building since the president’s first term, with a sector that has long run major trade surpluses becoming a consistent net importer. 

Ag trade deficit hit another record high in July

China imported a record volume of soybeans for August to build a buffer against possible shortages as a protracted trade war with the U.S. — its second-largest supplier — drags on. Reports show that China, the world’s biggest soybean importer, purchased 12.3 million metric tons in August, the highest ever recorded for the month, shoring up local availability before U.S. supplies begin to dominate the global market. China has traditionally sourced a large share of its soybean imports from the US, but ongoing trade tensions have pushed it to favor Brazil. 

The recent purchases reflect a strategic move to reduce reliance on US shipments ahead of the export season that is expected to peak in the coming months. Abundant imports, mainly from Brazil, have left Chinese crushers better prepared for a winter possibly without US soybeans. China’s stockpiles of imported soybeans totaled about 6.8 million tons as of last Friday, nearly the highest amount since March.

China soybean imports at record high in August, but not from U.S.

December corn closed down 2 cents and March corn was down 2 cents. November soybeans closed down 2 1/2 cents and January soybeans were down 2 1/4 cents. December KC wheat closed down 7 cents, December Chicago wheat was down 3 1/2 cents, December Minneapolis wheat was down 2 3/4 cents.

Row crop futures were lower for the most part across the board on Tuesday, correcting from Monday's positive action as traders are really just sitting on their hands currently, waiting for USDA clues on Friday in terms of what to expect for the impending U.S. corn and soy harvests. Corn and soybean conditions fell again week over week, but it is somewhat normal to see some degree of decline ahead of harvest, and the cuts were not as large as some were expecting, which dampened bullish motivation somewhat for Tuesday. Outside markets on Tuesday were mixed and mostly quiet as well, with most of the attention going to the revisions lower in U.S. job creation stretching back to April 2024 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which in turn has investors waiting to see how the Federal Reserve will react in their meeting next week.

Tuesday was quite the tumultuous ride for the live cattle complex. At the day's initial start, the market was trading slightly lower, but as the morning progressed, traders exacerbated the day's decline to be one that was sharp and painful to watch, as most of the live cattle contracts traded $4.00 to $6.00 lower. And why, you ask? More than anything, today's move seemed to be triggered by technical nervousness, as traders continue to worry about the market's position and know that fundamental support could be slightly weaker for the next little while, as cash prices could be lower and seasonally boxed beef prices could decline as well. No developments have surfaced in the fed cash cattle market and aren't expected to until Wednesday or later this week.

Did you think Monday afternoon that come Tuesday, the feeder cattle complex would be trading limit lower in most of its contracts? I hate to speculate, but I think it's safe to say that most of us didn't foresee the cattle complex toppling down so aggressively, given that from a fundamental perspective, feeder cattle demand is incredible -- the CME feeder cattle index closed at $367.03 Monday afternoon. But what's important to keep in perspective here is that even though it's frustrating, and even though so many factors say that today's actions simply shouldn't be, traders don't have to obey sound logic, and not every move aligns with the reality of the countryside's fundamentals.

While the cattle complex fell flat on its face, the lean hog complex saw most of its contracts drift slightly lower, but not to the severe degree in which the cattle contracts were trading. More than anything, the slight pullback in the hog sector seems to be because traders are noting resistance pressure, and midday pork cutout values were lower, too.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/09/09140923/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

The California Legislature has approved a bill to authorize the immediate sale of E15, a gasoline blend with 15% ethanol, but the measure still needs the signature of Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose administration signaled strong opposition to advancing E15 ahead of a California Air Resources Board regulatory review. In testimony at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing last month on Assembly Bill 30, California Department of Finance officials labeled the bill as duplicative and unnecessary. 

A budget official pointed to the $2.3 million and 10 positions the Legislature approved this year for CARB to implement the new E15 standards, resources that will not be available until the agency completes its review. The administration’s opposition to AB 30 centers on new costs to the California Department of Food and Agriculture for enforcing petroleum product quality standards. Increasing fuel fees would run counter to the administration’s priority to lower gas prices.

California E15 fate now in hands of Newsom, who opposed bill

On Monday the U.S. House passed a five-year reauthorization of USDA’s grain inspection program. The bipartisan United States Grain Standards Reauthorization Act includes some updates to the existing law, which expires September 30th, that are aimed in part at promoting new technology.

 The bill would require USDA to prioritize the adoption of improved grain grading technology to enable the efficient, accurate, and consistent grading of grain, and the legislation would exempt equipment and technology costs from a 30% cap on administrative and supervisory expenses that may be incurred under the law. The cap is intended to limit the overall cost of the program. The president and CEO of the National Grain and Feed Association, Mike Seyfert, calls the legislation “a must-pass bill for the entire grain value chain.”

House passes grain inspection extension

Hundreds of struggling Arkansas farmers are pleading with the federal government to provide emergency funding amid a farm economy crisis. Almost everything that could go wrong for Arkansas farmers went wrong this year. A dismal global market and plunging commodity prices mean there’s little hope of breaking even, even as input costs soar because of inflation and tariffs—on top of bad weather earlier in the year. Inputs costs have gone up, fertilizer has gone up, commodity prices have gotten worse. 

“After a horrible year last year where most farmers in Arkansas lost money, this year is going to be worse,” said Derek Haigwood, a farmer from Independence and Jackson County. The “Big, Beautiful Bill” provided a much-needed update to safety net subsidies for farmers, they won’t see those federal dollars until late next year. By then, some have projected that as many as one-fourth—or even one-third—of Arkansas farmers could face bankruptcy or be forced out of business.

Arkansas Farmers Seeking Emergency Aid

SHAWNEE COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) arrested a Topeka man Thursday morning for an alleged child sex offense.

On Thursday, Sept. 11, KBI agents with the Child Victims Unit executed a search warrant at a residence at 3709 SE Truman Ave. in Topeka, according to a media release from the KBI.

 Following the search, at around 9 a.m., KBI agents arrested Mark A. Calloway Jr., 27, of Topeka on requested charges of sexual exploitation of a child.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The KBI began investigating after a cyber-tip was submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Following his arrest Calloway was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. Additional charges against Calloway are expected.&nbsp;The Topeka Police Department assisted in the arrest.

Cyber tip led to Kan. man's arrest for alleged child sex crimes

🎥Trump draws cheers and boos marking 9/11 at Yankees game

OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on drug allegations.&nbsp;

Just before 7:30a.m. September 9,&nbsp;the Osage County Sheriff’s Office executed a narcotic search warrant in the 1200 block of Laing Street in Osage City, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

As a result, two subjects were taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility. Hunter A. Dorsey, 21, of Osage City is being held on requested charges of Possession of methamphetamine, Criminal use of weapons and Possession of drug paraphernalia

Angelique R. Dorsey, 45, of Osage City is in custody on requested charges of Possession of drug paraphernalia, Possession of a firearm by a felon and Warrant Arrest.

The Osage County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Osage City Police Department.

Kansas felon caught with a gun during drug bust at her home

SALINE COUNTY —Saline County deputies arrested two suspects after scamming a couple out of over $120,000.

On July 29, 2025 an elderly couple was called by a scammer claiming to be an 'agent from the US Treasurer's Office," according to Sheriff Roger Soldan.

 The scammer advised the couple that their 'personal information was used to get $3.7 million in cash from various banks.'

Furthermore, the 'agent' told the couple they were 'laundering money' and that they needed to give the 'US Government $80,000 to cover the court cases, which would be refunded after court dismissal.' Afterwards, one from the couple went to their bank and withdrew $80,000 and sent the amount in two separate shipments to two addresses in&nbsp;Downey, CA.

Moreover, on August 31st, the same 'agent' called the couple again and advised them to send an additional $40,000 in cash, but this time to a certain individual in person. The scammer told the couple this person would come by their house and pick up the cash. According to the Sheriff's Office, the couple met a male suspect at a street by their house to give him a total of $46,461 in cash.

After these events, the couple's bank was suspicious and called a family member of the couple about the concern. The family member then contacted the Sheriff's Office.

The very next day, the scammer called the couple once more and requested an additional payment of $40,000 in cash. The scammer said the same suspect would meet them to pick up the cash.

The Sheriff's Office was already involved in the investigation when the call was made, and learned the suspect would be at the 2300 block of S. 9th to pick up the cash. When the couple went to meet the suspect, authorities arrived to the scene with them and found two male suspects.

Arrested was 27-year old, Naga Teegala of Aurora, Illinois and 27-year old, Pruthwik Gallipally of Wheeling, Illinois. Both were booked into the Saline County Jail on requested charges Criminal Threat, Mistreatment of a Dependent Adult, Theft by Deception, Aggravated Intimidation of a Witness and False Impersonation. The total loss was listed to be at $126,461.

Sheriff: Kansas couple lost over $120,000 in scam

BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a fatal hit-and-run in Barton County have arrested three juveniles.

Just after 6:30p.m. on Wednesday, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a reported hit-and-run accident in the 100 block of Chisholm Trail, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir. This location is at the extreme southeast corner of the city of Great Bend just outside city limits

First responders discovered a male victim identified as 58-year-old&nbsp;Curtis Scott Cregger of Great Bend. He lived in the area and had&nbsp;been struck by a motor vehicle. 

Officers immediately began CPR and other lifesaving measures in an attempt to aid the victim. He was transported to the hospital in Great Bend and was later pronounced deceased.&nbsp;

Investigation at the scene as well as witness statements indicated the possibility this was an intentional act. The Sheriff’s Office is investigating this incident as a homicide.

At 10:30a.m. Thursday, a Sheriff’s deputy stopped a vehicle near the intersection of Broadway at Jackson Street in the city of Great Bend. The vehicle matched the description provided by witnesses in the hit-and-run fatality from last night. Further investigation confirmed this was the vehicle involved. The 17-year-old juvenile driver was taken into custody at the scene. With assistance from the Great Bend Police Department two passengers who were in the vehicle at the time of the collision were also located and arrested. Both are juveniles aged 17 and 14.

After consultation with the Barton County Attorney Colin Reynolds, the driver has been charged with murder in the 2nd degree the two passengers were charged with accessory to murder in the 2nd degree, according to Bellendir.

Murder: Kan. teens jailed for hit-and-run that killed 58-year-old

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans on Wednesday stopped a Democratic amendment to the annual defense authorization bill that would have compelled the release of the government’s investigative files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In a procedural vote, senators voted 51-49 to table the amendment filed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, effectively stopping the chamber from considering the measure. Republicans Josh Hawley of Missouri and Rand Paul of Kentucky voted with all Democrats to advance the amendment.

The move by Schumer was the latest attempt in Congress to force Republicans on the record about the Trump administration’s announcement in July that it would not release any further materials from the federal sex trafficking case against Epstein.

“If Republicans vote no, they’ll be saying to the American people, you should not see the Epstein files,” Schumer said on the Senate floor ahead of the vote. “I asked my Republican colleagues, after all those years you spent calling for accountability, for transparency, for getting to the bottom of these awful crimes, ‘Why won’t you vote yes?’”

The financier, who for years surrounded himself with powerful and influential figures, died awaiting trial in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019. He and President Donald Trump had a well-documented social relationship that Trump says turned sour before allegations against Epstein surfaced.

A bipartisan effort in the U.S. House aimed at forcing the Department of Justice to release all investigative materials has not gained enough Republican support to bypass House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, for a floor vote.

The discharge petition filed by Reps. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, and California Democrat Ro Khanna has the signatures of all Democrats and four Republicans, including Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Nancy Mace of South Carolina. The petition, which needs a majority of House members to sign to force legislation to the floor, is short two signatures.

Local

Region

Sports

Agriculture