St. Joseph's Commerce Bank branch, along with the Kansas City Royals, is supporting youth baseball and softball with an equipment collection drive.  

To help kick off the drive, Royals pitcher and St. Joseph native Noah Cameron made an appearance to help collect equipment and meet fans. 

Cameron says it means everything to get to come back to St. Joseph for an event like this 

"It's super important to me, super special, to be able to come back home," Cameron tells reporters during the event at Commerce Bank.  "I say I'm obviously from close to Kansas City, so people kind of know that I'm a hometown guy but they don't necessarily know I'm from here, so it's definitely super special to be able to represent this drive and what we're doing here." 

The equipment collected by the St. Joseph branch will be donated to Pony Express baseball.  Cameron says it's special to help with because of his connection to the organization. 

"I wouldn't be here without them, I played for the Pony Express a long time ago, so it's kind of my roots I guess where kind of started playing ball," Cameron explains.  "Over at Eagles Field was kind of where I grew up playing, so it's definitely really cool to impact that." 

It's been quite the year for the St. Joseph Central alum since he's joined the Kansas City starting rotation.  

Cameron has started 17 games and boasts a 2.47 ERA with a 7-5 record. He currently ranks fourth in American League Rookie of the Year voting.  

Cameron says to keep the success going, it’s just about getting better every day.  

"Obviously we're game planning well, everything's going pretty well so far, so we've just got to continue doing what we're doing," Cameron says.  "There's a lot of season left, we're not where we want to be right now as a team, so just got to continue fighting every day, just showing up and getting better." 

Equipment being collected during the drive includes baseballs, bats, gloves, hats, helmets, and socks among other items.  

The equipment drive runs through September 30th. 

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

Cameron returns home helping Commerce Bank celebrate drive kick-off

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating the theft of a&nbsp;&nbsp;Kubota side by side work vehicle owned by Mammoth Construction of Meriden, Kansas, according to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson.

The vehicle was taken from a job site at the Atchison High School football field. It is believed the vehicle was taken around 2:00AM on Monday&nbsp; and driven through a fence on the west side of the complex. 

Police later recovered the vehicle near 15th and Santa Fe Street. Police released no additional details including possible suspect details.

Police recover stolen construction company UTV

In the Kansas City area, all but one carrier have asked Kansas and Missouri regulators for the right to bump up premiums — in one case by 40%

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/suzanneking/">Suzanne King</a>

If you are one of the 617,000 people in Missouri or Kansas buying health insurance on&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://healthcare.gov/" target="_blank">healthcare.gov</a>, expect sticker shock when next year’s premiums are announced.

With few exceptions, insurance companies selling health coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace plan to increase rates in 2026. In the Kansas City area, all but one carrier have asked Kansas and Missouri regulators for the right to bump up premiums — in one case by 40%.

Only Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City proposed a decrease.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/how-much-and-why-aca-marketplace-premiums-are-going-up-in-2026/#Distribution%20of%20proposed%202026%20rate%20changes%20among%20312%20ACA%20Marketplace%20insurers" target="_blank">survey</a>&nbsp;of proposed rates by KFF and the Peterson Center on Healthcare found a median planned increase of 18% among the 312 insurers participating in ACA marketplaces nationwide. That is 11 percentage points higher than last year and the steepest increase request since 2018.

Only four insurers nationwide said they would decrease rates.

According to the KFF report, insurance companies cited numerous reasons for the increases, including inflation, increasing labor costs and the high price of specialty drugs like GLP-1 weight loss medications.

But health policy experts said much of the blame should fall on new Trump administration laws and policies that will increase the cost of marketplace coverage, drive healthy people to drop out and leave behind patients who cost the most.

The first policy that will drive up prices is that enhanced tax credits are expected to expire.

Since 2021 those tax credits have offset the cost of health plans for more than 90% of people enrolled in the ACA marketplaces and made coverage more widely available. The tax credits, which helped double marketplace enrollment between 2021 and 2025, expire at the end of the year if Congress doesn’t renew them.

The second policy driving up prices involves a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/files/document/cms-9884-f-2025-pi-rule-master-5cr-062025.pdf" target="_blank">Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rule</a>&nbsp;that overhauls how the marketplace operates.

Some changes will make it harder for people to enroll and keep coverage, such as shortening the enrollment period, eliminating automatic reenrollment and adding stricter eligibility checks. Other changes upend how insurance payments are formulated, which could drive up premiums and force people to pay more for deductibles and copays.

“The bottom line is that out-of-pocket premiums will go up,” said Gideon Lukens, senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, who co-authored a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/administrations-aca-marketplace-rule-will-raise-health-care-costs-for-millions-of" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;about the changes. “People will pay higher deductibles and copays, and the maximum out-of-pocket limits will also go up. … And then a lot of people lose coverage as a result.”

The ACA marketplace reached more than 24 million enrollees nationally in 2025, including&nbsp;<a href="https://interactives.commonwealthfund.org/2025/marketplace-fact-sheets/Missouri.pdf" target="_blank">417,000 in Missouri</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://interactives.commonwealthfund.org/2025/marketplace-fact-sheets/Kansas.pdf" target="_blank">200,050 in Kansas</a>. That was a record, and double the enrollment in 2021 when enhanced tax subsidies first went into effect. During that same period, Missouri’s enrollment also doubled, while Kansas’ climbed 133%.

But those enrollment highs are widely expected to plummet next year as premiums increase. In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.khi.org/articles/marketplace-enrollment-peaks-before-expected-decline/" target="_blank">recent report</a>, the Kansas Health Institute predicted that Kansas ACA enrollment could immediately return to 2021 levels and uninsured rates could “greatly increase.”

Anything that makes insurance harder to get — and especially more expensive — leads to fewer people being covered, experts said.

And next year’s potential insurance premium increases come as the Congressional Budget Office&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2025-08/61367-Distributional-Effects.pdf" target="_blank">predicts</a>&nbsp;that policy changes from the Trump administration will lead to an annual decline in overall resources for the country’s poorest households between 2026 and 2034. The CBO said poor households will lose an average of $1,200 annually during the period, while top-income households can expect to gain $13,600.

Lukens said increased health insurance premiums caused by the expiration of enhanced tax credits and CMS rule changes could effectively lead the country back to a time before the ACA was adopted, when many people couldn’t afford insurance and found it difficult to access health care.

“It’s not a repeal of the ACA, but the size of the impact is comparable,” he said. “The way it’s done is more of a death-by-a-thousand-cuts way — a lot of changes that will just generally add a lot of red tape and make it harder for people to keep coverage, to enroll in coverage, and will raise costs. But the overall impact of it will be to increase the number of people without coverage by getting close to where we were before the ACA.”

Once the dust settles, an estimated 8 million people are expected to lose coverage through the ACA marketplace. On top of that, 9 million could lose Medicaid under federal legislation passed in July, which cuts federal spending on the program by close to $1 trillion and adds new obstacles to keep coverage, like work requirements and&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/07/25/missouri-work-requirements-medicaid-mo-healthnet/" target="_blank">documenting hours worked</a>.

“The worst case scenario here is bad,” said Caitlin Donovan, a spokesperson for the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.patientadvocate.org/" target="_blank">Patient Advocate Foundation</a>, which helps people around the country with chronic and life-threatening illnesses find care. “It’s really bad.”

Ultimately, she said, when people lose health coverage they’re less likely to seek care and more likely to get sicker before getting help. That makes care cost more, puts more strain on hospitals and other health care providers and, ultimately, continues the cycle of insurance rates climbing.

“There is going to be a sicker population that’s in a much worse situation,” Donovan said.

When people who are young and healthy don’t participate in the insurance market, leaving behind people who are more expensive to cover, it can trigger a cycle of increasing premiums, said Christopher Garmon, assistant professor of health administration at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

“Anything that makes healthy people less likely to enroll is going to increase costs and cause premiums to go up, and make healthy people less likely to enroll,” he said. “And that is a vicious cycle.”

ACA premium&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/06/18/affordable-care-act-health-coverage-at-risk-unless-congress-acts/" target="_blank">changes will vary</a>&nbsp;based on where a person lives, their age and income. KFF has a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/interactive/how-much-more-would-people-pay-in-premiums-if-the-acas-enhanced-subsidies-expired/" target="_blank">calculator</a>&nbsp;that can help people know how much they may see rates increase come January.

The Commonwealth Fund&nbsp;<a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/maps-and-interactives/2025/aug/what-aca-marketplaces-do-your-state" target="_blank">estimates</a>&nbsp;that people in Missouri who receive tax credits will see a $720 jump in annual premiums, while the same group in Kansas will see a $590 annual increase.

Most of the insurance companies in the Kansas and Missouri marketplaces have requested premium increases next year.

In Kansas, Celtic Insurance Co. proposed a 40% increase, the highest jump. But Medica Insurance Co. said its rates need to go up 29.3% in Kansas. In Missouri, Medica proposed an increase of 29.2%, while Celtic proposed a jump of 24.4%.

Medica provided a written statement, saying the company’s rate request “reflects the trend toward increased use of medical services as well as the expiration of enhanced subsidies for those who depend on the Affordable Care Act marketplace for coverage.”

“We urge the Congress to promptly extend assistance that promotes stability in this vital market serving millions of Americans,” the Medica statement said.

Other carriers in the Kansas City market proposing rate increases include Oscar Insurance Co., which is asking for a 14.4% increase in Kansas and an 11.7% increase in Missouri, and United Healthcare Insurance Co., which wants a 10.1% bump in Kansas and a 10.7% increase in Missouri.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is the only carrier in the market — and one of just four in the country — planning to lower rates next year.

The company said it would drop rates 6.1% in Kansas and 4.4% in Missouri.

In a written statement, Rachel Arnett, Blue Cross vice president of sales, said the company had “evaluated our product offerings, gathered feedback from our customers, and developed a variety of options on the ACA Marketplace for health insurance in 2026.”

Those include “a new focused provider network,” which it said would bring lower premiums and predictable cost, and plans to offer its primary care model,&nbsp;<a href="https://spiracare.com/about/" target="_blank">Spira Care Access</a>, through nine area centers.

A spokesperson for the carrier declined to answer questions about the rate reduction and did not provide other details about the scope of the coverage.

Proposed rates must be approved by state insurance regulators before they are officially listed in the marketplace.

That should happen this fall in time for the ACA marketplaces’ open enrollment period, which begins Nov. 1. This year, people will have until Jan. 15 to complete enrollment. But next year that window will shorten to Nov. 1 through Dec. 15.

But many people may not realize how much the ACA will be changing next year or understand what options they may have for coverage. That’s because earlier this year the Trump administration cut funding for navigators who help people find health insurance through the ACA marketplace or, if they qualify, Medicaid.

Funding for public information campaigns about ACA coverage and the open enrollment period has also been cut, meaning some enrollees could miss deadlines or forget to reenroll, which could also add to the number of uninsured.

Justin Gust, vice president of community engagement with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.elcentroinc.com/" target="_blank">El Centro Inc.</a>, said he’s seen this play out before. The last time Trump was in the White House virtually all of the funding for public information campaigns was eliminated. And the consequences were not good.

“There was a huge reduction in people enrolling,” he said.

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/08/18/brace-for-sticker-shock-if-youre-buying-health-insurance-on-the-aca-marketplace/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

Missourians buying health insurance on ACA marketplace face highest rate hikes since 2018

ATCHISON COUNTY—A Kansas felon is back in jail on new allegations.

On Sunday, police arrested 31-year-old&nbsp;Kasandra O. Alexander of Atchison on a Jackson County Kansas District Court warrant for failure to appear in court, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

She remains jailed. She has two previous drug convictions in Doniphan and Atchison County, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Police: Kansas felon back in jail for skipping court

KFEQ Morning Sports

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">Jason Hancock</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Only state Sens. Nick Schroer and Adam Schnelting remain in a group whose quarrels with GOP leadership defined years of Missouri Senate gridlock

Just as the Missouri Freedom Caucus appears on the cusp of its biggest legislative victories, half of its members in the Senate have quit.&nbsp;

Missouri lawmakers are poised to return to Jefferson City next month to redraw the state’s eight congressional districts in order to gerrymander the Kansas City-based seat of Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. They’re also considering changes to the initiative petition process to make it harder for Missourians to change the state constitution.&nbsp;

Both have been longtime priorities of the Freedom Caucus, a group of hard-right GOP state lawmakers whose quarrels with party leaders led to years of Missouri Senate gridlock.

Yet after years of holding outsize sway in Missouri politics, the Senate Freedom Caucus is down to only two members.&nbsp;

State Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican and former caucus chairman, quit in June following a break with the group over&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/06/09/missouri-freedom-caucus-royals-chiefs-stadium/">a $1.5 billion incentive package to finance stadiums for the Chiefs and Royals</a>.&nbsp;

State Sen. Brad Hudson of Cape Fair, who also voted in favor of the stadium bill, soon joined him. He told The Independent last week that his differences with the caucus focused on tactics, not policy.&nbsp;

“I’ve got nothing but respect for my friends in the Freedom Caucus,” Hudson said.

The departures mean only two state senators from St. Charles County — Nick Schroer and Adam Schnelting — are still aligned with the Freedom Caucus.&nbsp;

Schroer, who took over as caucus chairman after Brattin stepped down, insists the group is “stronger than ever” despite the loss of half its Senate membership.&nbsp;

There are 11 members of the caucus in the House, Schroer said, and numerous candidates likely to join the group who are running in GOP primaries for open Senate seats next year. Not to mention, he said, Missouri’s secretary of state and two congressmen are Freedom Caucus alums.&nbsp;

“I’m not concerned whatsoever that at this moment we only have two very strong senators,” he said. “And I think those numbers are going to grow. But just like in years past, there are going to be senators who may not be wearing the Freedom Caucus insignia, but they are going to be with us on 99.9% of issues.”

But the caucus’ dwindling numbers in the Senate, where its influence was always most acutely felt, has some wondering if its days in the center of the Missouri political spotlight are drawing to a close.&nbsp;

It began in 2018, when a group of GOP senators formed what they called the conservative caucus.&nbsp;

The group’s formation set off an escalating war with Republican leadership that culminated four years later when acrimony became so bad that the Senate adjourned a day early for the first time since a fixed adjournment date was set in the state constitution in 1952.

Soon after, the conservative caucus announced it was disbanding.&nbsp;

A year later, six Republican senators — most of whom were part of the conservative caucus — announced the formation of the Missouri Freedom Caucus.&nbsp;&nbsp;

And the Republican civil war resumed almost immediately.&nbsp;

The 2023 legislative session saw Freedom Caucus members using near-daily procedural maneuvers to gum up the Senate. Republican leadership responded by&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/23/missouri-freedom-caucus-leaders-ousted-from-senate-chairmanships-over-stall-tactics/">stripping caucus members of committee assignments</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/25/missouri-senate-gop-warfare-escalates-with-suggestion-of-expelling-freedom-caucus-leader/">musing about their expulsion</a>.&nbsp;

The 2024 session saw no improvement, resulting in fewer bills passed than any year in living memory, including the COVID-shortened session in 2020.&nbsp;

Throughout the turmoil, the group kept losing members.&nbsp;

State Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin, a Shelbina Republican, quit in 2021, telling The Independent at the time that&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/09/she-doesnt-have-a-tribe-cindy-olaughlins-new-role-tests-ability-to-bridge-factions/">she grew tired of the group’s disruptive tactics</a>. She went on to become majority leader and president pro tem of the Senate, routinely squabbling with her former caucus colleagues.&nbsp;

GOP state Sen. Jill Carter of Granby left the group last year, saying she could no longer in good conscience be a part of “<a href="https://www.missourinet.com/2024/05/08/missouri-senator-further-explains-decision-to-leave-freedom-caucus/" target="_blank">actions behind the scenes that defame grassroots and violate the needs of my constituents</a>.”

Tensions in the Senate cooled this year, with&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/01/27/dysfunction-derailed-the-missouri-senate-for-years-so-far-2025-has-been-quiet/">term limits pushing key figures on both sides of the fight out of the chamber</a>. The detente led to a much more productive session, marked more by partisan squabbling than GOP infighting.&nbsp;

That changed after Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe called lawmakers back into special session in June to pass incentives aimed at keeping the Chiefs and Royals from moving to Kansas.&nbsp;

The Freedom Caucus vowed to oppose the funding scheme, which it decried as a “handout to billionaire sports team owners.” But Brattin and Hudson voted in support of the plan after a provision was added making changes to local property tax bills.

Both were accused of betraying the caucus’ principles, with the group’s longtime political adviser publicly calling for the Freedom Caucus to “disband and join the uniparty that runs Jefferson City.”

Brattin quit soon after, saying he opposed the stadium funding but voted in favor after the property tax provisions were added that he believed would benefit his constituents.&nbsp;

“I agree with the caucus probably on 95% of the issues,” Hudson said, “and I intend to continue to be allies with them and work with them on issues that we agree on. There have been some times where tactically, there may have been some disagreements where I may have wanted to go a different direction.”

Schroer said the fact that the legislature is poised to debate a congressional map that seeks to eliminate the Democratic-leaning seat in Kansas City shows the Freedom Caucus is anything but dead.&nbsp;

“Back in 2022, the Freedom Caucus pushed for a 7-1 map and couldn’t get enough Republicans to help us,” he said. “Now we’re going to do it.”

The overarching goal, he said, is that the Freedom Caucus will pull the party to the right so the caucus will no longer need to exist at all.&nbsp;

“When we’ve got enough of these strong-willed conservatives that are able to stand up to the establishment and stand up to special interest groups, hopefully at that point we’ll have a majority of the majority,” he said, “ and there will be no need for the Freedom Caucus.”

Missouri Freedom Caucus left with only two Senate members after summer of defections

CALDWELL COUNTY—A Missouri was injured in an accident and then arrested just before 9:30p.m. Saturday in Caldwell County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Ford F150 driven by 28-year-old Jarrad W. Stone of Cameron was eastbound on NE Independence Drive at NE Springhill Road one mile south of Hamilton. 

&nbsp;The driver failed to stop at the T-intersection. The pickup traveled off the road, struck an embankment and a tree. Stone was arrested on requested charges of misdemeanor driving while intoxicated and careless and imprudent driving involving an accident.

 A private vehicle transported the driver to Cameron Regional Medical Center. He was properly restrained at the time of the crash, according to the MSHP.

Mo. man accused of DWI after pickup crash into a tree

Missouri had a total teacher turnover rate of 14.6% during the 2023-24 school year, more than double the national average

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/juliannamejia/">JULIANNA MEJIA</a>

Summertime may almost be over, but for teachers like Audra Day, the work has been nonstop.

Day is a kindergarten teacher at Hillsboro Primary School during the academic year, but has spent her break as a summer school teacher and mentor while also preparing for the upcoming school year.

She said one of the misconceptions about being a teacher is that they have the entire summer off. In reality, Day doesn’t have the opportunity to take much of a break outside of the weeks that bookend summer school activities.

“That’s only for four weeks off, which is what most people get off for vacation,” Day said.

Though she loves her job, Day said it can be frustrating.

Missouri had a total teacher turnover rate of 14.6% during the 2023-24 school year, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.primecenter.org/education-reports-database/teacher-turnover" target="_blank">a May 2025 report</a>&nbsp;led by Cameron Anglum, a researcher affiliated with St. Louis University’s PRiME Center. That’s more than double the national average of 7% during the same school year,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA956-29.html" target="_blank">according to research organization RAND</a>.

Anglum defines total teacher turnover as teachers switching districts within Missouri and teachers leaving Missouri public education altogether. He said both the pandemic and the years following were rough for teachers as online accommodations were limited and the ensuing global inflation made teacher salaries even more dismal by comparison.

“You mix all of those things together, and it was an enormously difficult two- or three-year period for teachers,” Anglum said. “Teaching in general is an enormously difficult profession, but over the pandemic, working conditions worsened pretty significantly.”

The National Education Association&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nea.org/resource-library/educator-pay-and-student-spending-how-does-your-state-rank" target="_blank">ranks Missouri</a>&nbsp;as the 49th state in the nation in both average teacher starting salary and average educator salary, as of the 2023-24 school year. As teacher turnover rates remain high, Anglum said the pressure of filling in the gaps weighs on educators and school districts.

“When schools see an increase in teachers leaving, that places a much larger burden on recruiting new teachers, and we often don’t have the supply of new teachers to fill those vacant positions,” Anglum said.

As issues with teacher retention and recruitment continue, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the state legislature have implemented policies to improve teacher pay before classes begin next month.

During the 2024 legislative session, lawmakers passed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/24info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=244" target="_blank">Senate Bill 727</a>, which requires the minimum salary for teachers to increase from $25,000 to $40,000 for the 2025-26 school year, with a minimum salary of $46,000 for educators with master’s degrees and at least ten years of experience.

“This hopefully will be part of one of several strategies that will help us get more qualified teachers into the field and keep the ones that we have,” said Kari Monsees, former deputy commissioner of the Division of Administrative and Financial Services at DESE, who retired in June.

To facilitate this, lawmakers created and have provided funding for an initiative known as the Teacher Baseline Salary Grant Program. While these grants existed before, the same legislation that implemented higher minimum teacher salaries also created the formal program that will provide school districts paying wages below the minimum with funding to comply with the new state policy.

While the intent is good, some experts said the grant program could cause uncertainty for continued funding in future school years.

Caitlin Whaley is the senior director of advocacy and governmental relations for the Missouri School Boards’ Association. Whaley said that because the grant is subject to annual state appropriations that are not mandated by law, it may not be a reliable funding stream.

“We certainly appreciate that the legislature is willing to put their money where their mouth is and fund that program, but it’s just hard to rely on it year over year, when you don’t know when that funding could potentially not be renewed,” she said.

Rebeka McIntosh, president of the Missouri National Education Association and a former educator, said that increasing the teacher salary and funding certain aspects of education like transportation and the foundation formula is a good first step, but it’s the bare minimum. She said the state also made several cuts and withholdings for educational programs recently.

“Those have direct impact on our public school classrooms, and that is of great concern,” she said. “To say we need to recruit, retain, and then to cut the legs off from underneath … that will then fall again onto districts to find some sort of avenue to have to Scotch tape it together again, and our students deserve better.”

Even more, Todd Fuller, spokesperson for Missouri State Teachers Association, said the increase in minimum salary still leaves Missouri behind its neighboring states, which have also been increasing the minimum salaries for their educators.

“It’s felt like a battle to try to get us to a point where teachers are adequately compensated and we’ve finally gotten to a starting salary of $40,000, [but] the frustrating part of that is when you look at us and all the states bordering Missouri, we’re still last,” Fuller said. “Just as soon as we increase that salary, everybody else has increased their salary, and it keeps us still toward the bottom of starting salaries.”

While organizations like MSTA have been advocating for an increase in the minimum salary, Fuller said the results of&nbsp;<a href="https://msta.org/news-and-media/2025-member-survey" target="_blank">an annual survey</a>&nbsp;from the group show that the reason for high teacher turnover rates is not entirely because of pay, though it is a contributing factor for some.

“Salary is not the number one reason that teachers are leaving,” Fuller said. “Teachers are leaving because of discipline issues. They’re leaving because of unrealistic expectations for classroom management, especially when they don’t have backing from the administration.”

As an educator for 30 years, Aimee Epley, a kindergarten teacher at Hillsboro Primary School, feels that those outside of education may not realize the challenges that teachers face in their profession.

“I think they think that we’re glorified babysitters, so they don’t feel that pay is low because they don’t have an understanding of what we actually do,” Epley said. “Once you have somebody come in and observe, people are in awe of how a classroom is handled and ran.”

As rewarding as her career has been, Epley was relieved when her daughter didn’t pursue work in education despite being interested in that vocation.

“I knew she had the heart of a teacher. I was afraid of that, because I didn’t want her to be a teacher, because I didn’t want her to struggle financially in ways I have had to struggle,” Epley said.

Still, Epley remains hopeful for the future of education.

“I think we’re going to be on a struggle bus for a while, and then I think it’ll eventually swing back,” Epley said. “I don’t think there’s a point where we’re not appreciated for the job we do. I [just] don’t think we’re fiscally supported for the job that we do.”

This story originally appeared in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.missouribusinessalert.com/government/on-a-struggle-bus-educators-await-increase-in-starting-teacher-pay-amid-high-turnover-rates/article_8bb8e10d-1a94-49ef-826a-c224e7f3208b.html" target="_blank">Missouri Business Alert</a>, a digital newsroom covering businessand the economy in Missouri.

Missouri educators await increase in starting teacher pay amid high turnover rates

ATCHISON COUNTY —A St. Joseph couple are in custody after a police investigation in Atchison.

On Thursday, police arrested 35-year-old&nbsp;Christopher C. Cash and 43-year-old Crystal L. Cash both of St. Joseph in the 11000 block U.S.59. He was booked into jail in connection with a Nodaway County Missouri warrant for stealing, according to Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp;

She was jailed on a Nodaway County Missouri warrant for stealing and a Doniphan County Ks warrant for failure to appear in court.&nbsp;&nbsp;

St. Joseph couple jailed for alleged theft in Kansas

With school beginning next week around St. Joseph, the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office is giong to be keeping an eye on school zones and bus routes. 

Captain Mike Hess says the Sheriff's office wants everyone to be sure to refamiliarize themselves with safety measures around school areas 

"Meaning watch your speeds in the school zones, those speeds will be enforced," Hess says on the KFEQmunnity show.  "And especially school bus safety, as you start to travel those roadways that you haven't seen school busses on in a few months, get used to those coming back out, because we always usually have some events with school busses regardless of what time of year, so we want to make sure folks are very careful with that." 

Hess says the Sheriff's office is always enforcing these safety measures on some level, but for the first two weeks of school there will be an enhanced push to protect children.  

Hess says every year the Sheriff's office hears some of the same complaints from people when it comes to traffic in school zones. 

"We're seeing a tremendous amount of speeders in the area through the school zone, or we're having a problem with some folks passing a school bus when the red stop sign is out," Hess explains.  "And we want to make sure those are just prevented from the beginning, get everybody in the habit of stopping behind a school bus, you have to stop." 

Hess reminds everyone that not stopping for a bus with its stop sign out is a ticket able offense.  During the first two weeks of school officers will be out on random bus routes monitoring for violators.  

Hess reminds drivers those school zones can be anything that is marked with that school zone sign where drivers should be aware and slow down 

"So it could be a cross walk associated to it, it could be the area immediately in front, to the side, however you want to phrase that, of the school," Hess says.  "But all those speeds are reduced because of the amount of children around." 

Hess points out all these measures are to make sure people are aware of the school zone rules and are refamiliarizing themselves with them as school starts back up. 

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

Buchanan Co. Sheriff upping efforts to protect students as school starts back up

Click <a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/08/18144852/30001-closing-markets.wav">HERE</a> to listen to the closing markets

December corn closed up 1 1/4 cents per bushel at $4.06 1/2 and March corn was up 1 3/4 cents at $4.24 1/4. November soybeans closed down 1 1/4 cents at $10.41 1/4 and January soybeans were down 1 1/2 cents at $10.60. September KC wheat closed down 3/4 cent at $5.06 1/4, September Chicago wheat was down 3 3/4 cents at $5.02 3/4 and MIAX December Minneapolis wheat was down 0.01 cents at $5.8825.

The September U.S. Dollar Index is trading up 0.263 at 97.975. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 44.33 points at 44,901.79. December gold is down $3.60 at $3,379.00, September silver is up $0.08 at $38.06 and September copper is down $0.0125 at $4.4800. September crude oil is up $0.58 at $63.38, September heating oil is up $0.0140, September RBOB is up $0.0243 and September natural gas is down $0.027.

December corn futures, in two-sided trade, finished slightly better on Monday. Early pressure was coming from not only the continued favorable weather with the primary Corn Belt slated to get more rain amid a cooling trend, but also from thoughts that a major annual crop tour which began on Monday was likely to find more reasons to be bearish corn. After the recent August WASDE had pegged the corn crop at a record 188.8 bushels per acre (bpa) yield with record production of over 16.7 billion bushels (bb), some even believed NASS could ultimately raise yield again in future reports. Talk centered on corn at least having a yield of 186 bpa with some private estimates even inching up to and above the 190-bpa mark. Also adding pressure is the expanding southern corn harvest with Louisiana likely to reach more than 60% harvested with Arkansas moving close to 20%, pressuring cash values. So far, Delta corn yields are reported to be running well above a year ago. On Monday morning another new corn sale was announced -- 4.9 mb sold to unknown destinations. Demand remains solid on the export front along with corn used for ethanol. Weekend rain fell in the Northern Plains, Upper Midwest, with more rain early Monday for parts of Nebraska, Iowa and into Minnesota and Wisconsin. Funds remain net-short the corn market. DTN's National Corn Index is $3.65 and 19 cents under the September futures.

The soy market was quiet to start the new week with soybeans trading to a slight loss late, while bean oil was slightly higher in two-sided trade and soymeal fell for the third consecutive day. Weather continues to be very favorable into the first half of September. Weekend rain in the Northern Plains, Upper Midwest and primary Corn Belt will be followed by a cooler and wetter pattern beyond Tuesday. The trade is awaiting news from the ongoing Pro Farmer tour which will conclude Thursday with a yield and production estimate. The calendar spread in beans is suggesting we could see another bump in soy yield in coming reports. Export business in the new-crop slot continues to be anemic with zero China soy purchases on the books so far. At a time when U.S. soy exporters usually find strong China buying interest, due to the tariff fight, it seems China has loaded up on more expensive South American beans. Domestically, soybean crush continues to be the bright spot with the July NOPA report showing a record large grind of 195.6 million bushels (mb). A recent farm advisory private tour of Iowa and Illinois revealed record large pod counts, and the DTN Digital Tour results from those two states would likely concur with call for record yields. The southern soybean harvest will likely begin just after the Labor Day weekend, with the large corn and soy crops expected to strain the storage system. Funds begin the new week with a modest bean short and bean oil long and a large soymeal net short of 109,000 contracts. DTN's National Soybean Index is $9.78 and 65 under the November futures.

Commodity markets daily recap

A draft of the upcoming MAHA report, reportedly will not propose direct restrictions on ultra-processed foods and pesticides that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., called “major threats.” If it is adopted, the report on the health of America’s children will be good news for the food and agriculture industries, which feared much more restrictive proposals than the ones currently outlined in the draft. 

Kennedy, the Health and Human Services Secretary, has sought to change the nation’s diet by pushing the industries to make major changes through his “Make America Healthy Again” movement. The New York Times said industry regulators will work with ag stakeholders to make sure the public is aware of and confident in existing pesticide review procedures. However, it also said the administration will back research on technologies to help farmers reduce pesticide use and on the health impacts on the public.

Draft MAHA report shows no pesticide restrictions

U.S. wheat exports for 2025-2026 are forecast to increase by 25 million bushels this month, the highest since 2020, based on a strong pace of export sales and competitive pricing. Hard Red Winter Wheat exports are forecast to rise by 300 million bushels, with total commitments almost double from a year ago. That’s based on information from the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service Export Sales Database. 

With competitive pricing compared to other exporters, HRW sales have expanded to a wide variety of markets, most notably to Nigeria, Mexico, Venezuela, and Bangladesh. 

Export sales of Soft Red Winter Wheat and Durum are running slightly ahead of last year, and total exports of those classes are forecast to increase during the marketing year. Conversely, sales of Hard Red Spring and White currently lag behind last year’s pace and are forecast to be lower year to year. Total 2025-2026 wheat production is forecast at 1.93 billion bushels.

Wheat exports to rebound in the year ahead

December corn closed up 8 cents per bushel at $4.05 1/4 and March corn was up 8 1/2 cents at $4.22 1/2. November soybeans closed up 14 cents at $10.61 1/2 and January soybeans were up 13 1/4 cents at $10.42 1/2. September KC wheat closed up 2 3/4 cents at $5.07, September Chicago wheat was up 3 cents at $5.06 1/2 and December Minneapolis wheat was down 0.02 cents at $5.8975.

September corn rose 1 cent for the week to close at $3.83 3/4 and December corn finished down 1/4 cent at $4.05 1/4. September soybeans closed up 54 1/2 cents to end the week at $10.22 1/4 and November beans closed up 55 cents to finish at $10.42 1/2. Chicago September wheat finished down 8 at $5.06 1/2, KC September fell 11 1/4 cents to end at $5.07.  Minneapolis wheat ended down .0575 to end the week at $5.69 1/4.

Grain and soy markets closed stronger Friday with the exception of soymeal and Minneapolis wheat. Traders likely added back some weather premium due to the warmer and drier outlook for parts of the eastern and southern Midwest and Delta. The strength came despite the news that Brazil's corn and soy crops would both be record large. Kansas City and Chicago wheat had become extremely oversold and joined in Friday's rally effort.

The live cattle complex was back to rallying as traders were hopeful that the fed cash cattle market will indeed see higher prices in both regions this week. There was a thin movement of cattle traded in the North at mostly $384 to $386, which is $3.00 to $5.00 higher than last week's weighted average, Asking prices remain firm in the South at $237 plus, and there are bids currently on the table in Texas at $233, but again, no Southern live cattle have traded yet. Even so, traders are hopeful that the market will continue to see fundamental support, which is mainly why the contracts traded higher into Friday's close. Plus, it's helpful that boxed beef prices were rallying noticeably again today.

The feeder cattle complex was worried at the start of Friday's complex that the day's trade may be pressured like it was on Thursday. But thankfully, upon seeing the live cattle contracts trading higher, even the feeder cattle contracts traded significantly stronger into Friday's close.

At last, the lean hog complex traded higher as the market has finally seemed to find some technical support, which helped rally the contracts and the strong uptick in pork demand this morning was helpful too. The $14.87 rally in the belly is the biggest reason why the carcass price was higher, but every single one of the major cuts were trading higher and advancements of $2.00 to $5.00 were the norm this morning.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/08/15141605/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

Despite ongoing challenges, agricultural land values have remained remarkably stable through mid-2025. According to the Farmers National Company, the resilience is mainly driven by simple supply and demand; there are more motivated buyers than willing sellers. While producers remain the main buyers of ag land, interest from individual and institutional investors can’t be ignored. As land values stabilize after the peaks of the last five years, investors are increasingly attracted to the annual returns and long-term appreciation. 

Farm Credit Services of America says benchmark Midwest farmland values increased 57 percent over the past five years and 39 percent over the past decade. Inventory remains limited, with listings down 25 percent from the peak in 2020-2021. “While producer balance sheets generally remain strong, any negative movements in the ag economy could quickly impact the land market,” said Paul Shadegg, the senior vice president of real estate operations at Farmers National. 

Ag land market remains resilient

American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall commented on the EPA’s announcement that it will revise Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) guidelines for manufacturers of heavy trucks and off-road equipment. Manufacturers will be directed to update the software in equipment that uses DEF to prevent them from losing power. “Farm Bureau thanks the EPA and Administrator Zeldin for their common-sense approach to heavy trucks and off-road equipment that uses Diesel Exhaust Fluid,” Duvall said. 

“When a vehicle runs out of DEF or there is an error in the software, it loses power, causing delays that could be the difference between getting a crop harvested or animals to their destination.” He also said the agency’s decision to grant a grace period to make repairs or refill DEF is the right thing to do, which keeps farmers in the field and commerce moving. Since 2010, diesel trucks and tractors have used DEF to reduce emissions of nitrous oxides. 

Farmers applaud common-sense fix for diesel engines

December corn closed unchanged at $3.97 1/4 and March corn was down a penny at $4.14. November soybeans closed down 15 3/4 cents at $10.28 1/2 and January soybeans were down 14 1/2 cents at $10.48 1/4. September KC wheat closed down 2 1/2 cents at $5.04 1/4, September Chicago wheat was down 3 3/4 cents at $5.03 1/2 and December Minneapolis wheat was down 0.04 cents at $5.92.

The soybean market retreated Thursday, halting a 3-day rally, as did soy products. Both Chicago and Kansas City wheat fell to new contract lows before bouncing and corn was mixed to lower in quiet trade. December corn came within a half-cent of the low before stabilizing. Bean oil futures resumed the downtrend.

Even though the live cattle complex was grateful to close higher Wednesday afternoon and see fed cash cattle prices trade higher in the North. The market is struggled as the week's export report was lousy and traders are holding their breath, waiting to see if the complex falls below last Friday's close, which would be a bearish technical signal. Last Friday, the market traded as low as $225.60, which will be the threshold we need to continue to monitor. A few cash bids are on the table as live bids are being offered at $233 in Texas. Live bids are being offered in Nebraska at $245, but no trade has developed yet following Wednesday's movement in the Nebraska where dressed cattle were trading at $385, which is $4.00 higher than last week's weighted average.

And as one would logically expect, the feeder cattle complex also traded significantly lower after seeing the live cattle contracts duck and run. Traders believed that was the best route to send the feeder cattle contracts as well. Again, this decision is solely one being made on technical indications as demand in the countryside remains nearly unfathomable for feeder cattle. It's looking like the fed cash cattle market may be able to trade cattle for higher money this week, but time will tell.

The lean hog complex traded lower as well into Thursday's closing bell, as traders remain displeased about the morning's export report and didn't finding the morning's fundamental support to be sufficient enough to keep steady. The cutout's biggest problem this morning was the $4.96 decline in the picnic.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/08/14144813/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

The USDA reminds agricultural producers that the final date to apply for or make changes to their existing crop insurance coverage is quickly approaching for fall-planted crops. Sales closing dates vary by crop and location, but the next major sales closing dates are September 1 and September 30. Producers are encouraged to visit their crop insurance agent soon to learn specific details for the 2026 crop year. Crop insurance coverage decisions must be made on or before the applicable sales closing date. 

The USDA’s Risk Management Agency lists sales closing dates in the Actuarial Information Browser, under the “Dates” tab. Producers can also access the RMA Information Reporting System tool to specifically identify applicable dates for their operation, using the “Insurance Offer Reports” application. Federal crop insurance is critical to the farm safety net. It helps producers and owners manage revenue risks and strengthens the U.S. rural economy. 

Crop insurance deadline drawing closer

Recent data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers showed Canadian sales of combines grew 11.4 percent in July 2025 compared to July of last year. Canadian sales of two-wheel-drive tractors also increased slightly, growing three percent in July 2025 compared to July 2024. U.S. sales of combines fell 43 percent, while total agricultural tractor sales fell by 4.9 percent in July 2025 compared to last year. 

“While we are encouraged by the modest growth in Canadian combine and tractor sales, the significant declines in the U.S. reflect ongoing caution in the marketplace,” said AEM Senior Vice President Curt Blades. “We believe North American farmers are carefully evaluating their capital assets and taking a measured approach to equipment purchases, balancing operational needs with broader economic uncertainty.” The biggest drop in the U.S. was in self-propelled combine sales, dropping almost 44 percent from July 2024.

U.S. combine sales continue to decline while Canadian sales rise 

December corn closed up 2 3/4 cents per bushel at $3.97 1/4 and March corn was up 2 3/4 cents at $4.15. November soybeans closed up 11 1/2 cents at $10.44 1/4 and January soybeans were up 12 cents at $10.62 3/4. September KC wheat closed down 4 cents at $5.06 3/4, September Chicago wheat was up 2 1/4 cents at $5.07 1/4 and MIAX December Minneapolis wheat was up 0.01 cents at $5.9600.

Soybeans continued to move higher Wednesday, again reacting to the surprise cut in harvested acres and lower production despite a record yield as reflected in Tuesday's USDA report. Wheat in Chicago fell to a new low and Kansas City came within a penny of the same fate. Corn was able to bounce slightly following the Tuesday beatdown.

Following the supportive trade that developed earlier this week for live cattle, traders are again twiddling their fingers, seeming to have the mindset that again asks: now what? On one hand, traders would like to continue to support the complex and push prices higher, but at the same time, they don't want to become overly aggressive and overextend the futures complex. So, as the market nears midday Wednesday, a mixed attitude has taken over the contracts as the nearby contracts are trading higher, but the deferred months are a tick more cautious and trading lower.

The feeder cattle complex is walking back some of its position following Tuesday's sporty jump as traders are concerned that there might not be enough technical support to keep prices trading higher. Some stronger sales were just noted in the Fed cash cattle market, which could help change traders' attitude, but that's yet to be seen.&nbsp;

The lean hog complex is trading lower even though the midday cutout report showed strong pork interest and the midday cash hog report showed stronger packer demand. Even so, the lean hog contracts are trading lower as technical pressure remains the issue for the market. October lean hogs are down $1.37 at $90.22, December lean hogs are down $1.45 at $82.35 and February lean hogs are down $1.45 at $85.12. It was interesting to see that the belly and the picnic jumped up over $6.00 higher on today's midday report.

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