Since the East Buchanan Middle School moved to Gower and the ground became available, work's been progressing quickly on the Buchanan County Fairgrounds. 

Buchanan County Presiding Commissioner Scott Nelson says dirt work has already been completed and now the new arena area is starting to take shape 

“The north footing was poured, north wall was poured, and two thirds of the east wall was poured,” Nelson says on the KFEQmunnity show.  “Now I’m told that they’ve continued pouring those footings.” 

Nelson says there has been a lot of excitement in Easton around the new project as work happens 

"I don’t know how many calls I’ve gotten that I want to help, I want to be part of this, and you know I appreciate that but I’m not the guy to tell you how you can help, so we’re making arrangements for that,” Nelson says. 

Nelson says along with the work on the arena, there are also ongoing talks about what to do with the school building.  

Nelson says discussions also are underway about the possible move of the Buchanan County Extension office to the site, which he says would provide growth potential for 4H programming 

"They really didn't have anywhere to go in Buchanan County to do their shows, but now they have a place to do their show, and people can come here,” Nelson explains.  “And now they don’t have to go looking around for churches and offices and space to have debate contests or leadership conferences or whatever they do.”  

Nelson points out that despite some skepticism from people, work is happening, and the future for a new fairground is in a good place.  

Nelson says those doubts people might have had about a fairground in Buchanan County stem from years of hearing about it 

"This is going to happen, this is going to happen, and then there was kind of a lull for a while, and over the last two years it’s kind of picked back up, and I understand that I do,” Nelson says.  “But today, as we speak, there are boots on the ground, dirt's flowing, concretes flowing, steel is on the ground, it’s going to be put up.” 

Nelson says there's also currently no debt to own the land, so now the next step is coming up with an operating budget to keep a fairground operational. 

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

Work progressing on future Buchanan County fairground area

Apart from a drafting error, the summary written by Secretary of State Denny Hoskins was deemed ‘sufficient’ by a Cole County judge.

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

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/petitions/2026IPcirculation#2026071" target="_blank">ballot summary</a>&nbsp;describing a proposed amendment to Missouri’s Constitution as “limiting parental choice in education” is sufficient, a Cole County judge ruled last week.

Secretary of State Denny Hoskins must only correct a drafting error for his description of the initiative petition to be “concise, neutral and sufficient,” Judge Cotton Walker wrote.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Petitioners%20Trial%20Brief.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3689575" target="_blank">lawsuit</a>, filed by attorney Duane Martin of the public education law firm EdCounsel, says the amendment seeks to “prohibit the use of state and local public funds for nonpublic schools for nondisabled students.”

Martin argued that Hoskins’ ballot summary contained several statements “that are unfair, insufficient or misleading.” Specifically, he pointed to the summary’s statement that the initiative petition would “eliminate existing programs that provide direct aid to students with special education needs by prohibiting the use of public funds for educational services provided by nonpublic schools.”

This is “misleading at best,” Martin wrote, since the amendment states that “public funds or public aid may be used to pay private individuals or entities for educational or other services to be provided to individuals with disabilities.”

Hoskins argues that the amendment is likely to upend MOScholars, the state’s K-12 scholarship program, which benefits nondisabled and disabled students.

“Even if the State could find workable statutory amendments or regulations to restrict the MOScholars program to comply with the proposed amendment, the program would be eliminated in its current form and need substantial alterations to comply with the proposed language,” wrote Andrew Crane, the deputy chief counsel for the attorney general’s office.&nbsp;

Martin also disputes the characterization that the proposed amendment would “limit parental choice.” He wrote that the amendment wouldn’t eliminate nonpublic schools, so private education would continue to be available — though it wouldn’t be subsidized by the state.

“The only thing that would change is that public funds would not be used to pay the tuition of a nondisabled student, if the parent chooses to send their child to an in-person, private school,” he wrote.

Hoskins argues that limiting education to what parents can afford is indeed “limiting parental choice.”

“Limiting parental choice programs is a central aim of the proposed amendment and the first bullet point is necessary to properly inform voters on that point,” Crane wrote.

Walker didn’t get into the details of the debate over private school funding, but he wrote that Hoskins’ description “fairly and impartially states the purpose and probable effect of the proposed constitutional amendment.”

“Courts do not ask whether the secretary chose the best possible wording, only whether the language fairly and impartially summarizes the measure’s central purpose,” he continued in his five-page decision.

The only issue is a bullet point that says the amendment would “define most charter schools as nonpublic unless approved by voters or school boards before June 30, 2025.”

The proposed amendment would not change the status of charter schools operating prior to June 30. Only new charters would be considered nonpublic.

Walker’s ruling directs Hoskins to fix the “drafting error,” but otherwise upholds the other two contested bullet points.

Martin plans to appeal the decision, he told The Independent.

“We are disappointed in the decision, particularly in light of the plain language of the proposed amendment creating an exception for students with disabilities,” he said.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/lawsuits-challenge-deceptive-summaries-for-missouri-public-education-ballot-measures/">court challenge</a>&nbsp;of a separate pro-public-education petition is still pending.

Missouri judge upholds ballot summary of amendment targeting private school vouchers

KFEQ Morning Sports

KFEQ Morning News

Former longtime KFEQ
salesman, Ken Gabler, has died.

Gabler was born in
St. Louis November 24th of 1930.

Gabler served as a
salesman for KFEQ Radio for years, often voicing commercials.

After retiring
from the station, Gabler took up several hobbies and spent time with his family.
Gabler and his wife, the former Helen Isaacs, were married for 68 years and had
three children.

Gabler was a
member of the Barbershop Quartet and Chorus and performed for the U.S. troops
on a U.S.O. Tour.

Farewell services
and public livestream will be held 1 p.m. Tuesday, October 28th, at the Ashland
United Methodist Church; interment at Memorial Park Cemetery.

The family suggests
memorial contributions to Ashland United Methodist Church.

You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

Former longtime KFEQ salesman, Ken Gabler, dies at age 94

Jail-based pilot programs from the Missouri Department of Mental Health are enabling some people to stand trial while they wait for a state hospital bed in jail or out on bond, but the backlog is still growing

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/squinn/">Steph Quinn</a>- <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

A man jailed on felony drug possession charges has been waiting 469 days in the Clay County Detention Center for mental health services that could allow his case to move forward.

It took him 75 days just to get a court-ordered evaluation from the Department of Mental Health, according to Sarah Boyd, spokesperson for the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

He hasn’t been convicted of a crime. He was found incompetent to stand trial and has been in limbo ever since – stuck in jail until a bed becomes available in a state psychiatric hospital or services from the mental health department or the jail enable him to satisfy a judge that he can stand trial.

“We want folks to be restored to competency, so that they don’t have their constitutional rights violated,” Boyd said, referring to the Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial. “We want that to happen, and we wanted it to happen here, but that hasn’t really been the case.”&nbsp;

In September, an average of 487 Missourians were waiting for a bed in a psychiatric hospital run by the department. The waitlist has grown by a third since September 2024 and almost 88% since September 2023.&nbsp;

In August, that average number reached 492, an all-time high.

These numbers include people who are receiving services – including medication, therapy and competency education — in jails or out on bond, according to the department.

Lawmakers in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/23info/pdf-bill/tat/SB106.pdf" target="_blank">2023</a>&nbsp;authorized the department to provide jail-based competency, and programs have been established in St. Louis city and county, along with Jackson and Clay counties. The law also allows outpatient treatment for individuals who can be safely released on bond.&nbsp;

The department has also expanded two mobile teams of clinicians who provide medication and case management to people on the waitlist through in-person jail visits and telehealth.

A year after the launch of the first jail-based competency programs, sheriffs, corrections medical staff and jail administrators say that although the new initiatives have helped address mental health needs, they aren’t enough to tackle the waitlist — or address the underlying need for mental health and substance use treatment that keeps some people cycling in and out of jail.

Only 12 people have so far attained competency after completing a jail-based pilot program, according to the department, and 52 people have participated.

Dr. Jeanette Simmons, deputy director of the state mental health department, said the growing waitlist&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/02/07/missouri-chief-justice-calls-for-action-as-hundreds-wait-in-jails-for-mental-health-services/">isn’t a surprise</a>.

“Our numbers have increased,” Simmons said. “We predicted that they would increase.”

Simmons attributed the increase to a static number of hospital beds and increasing numbers of competency evaluation requests from courts.

“As that number continues to increase, I’m not surprised that the number of folks found incompetent increases,” Simmons said. “It clearly correlates together.”

Simmons said the department has dialed up efforts to help people take first steps toward competency while they are waiting in jail, and that the mobile teams in particular have seen successes. Last year, 117 people attained competency through the teams’ work,&nbsp;<a href="https://oa.mo.gov/sites/default/files/FY27%20DMH%20Appropriation%20Book.pdf" target="_blank">according to the department</a>.&nbsp;

“Just by virtue of getting people started on their medications and stabilizing their psychiatric condition, they have restored to competence,” Simmons said.

Boyd, the spokesperson for the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, said Sheriff Will Akin was initially “frustrated” with the pilot program because it wasn’t clear to him at first that his jail would be expected to take patients from Platte, Buchanan and Andrew counties.&nbsp;

Boyd said the program has been successful for those who participated in it and that Akin and the department have agreed on a plan to work together.

“We definitely want to continue with the program here,” Boyd said, “and we’re moving forward in a way that he thinks will make it successful.”

The idea of county jails housing mental health patients from other counties has been a deterrent for some to participate. Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/01/27/missourians-waiting-in-jail-for-court-ordered-mental-health-care-reaches-all-time-high/">told The Independent</a>&nbsp;in January that was the reason he opted out of the pilot program.

“I’m not going to participate in a warehousing contract of people that are mentally ill that shouldn’t be in jail in the first place,” Arnott said in January.

There are currently six people participating in the Clay County program, Boyd said on Monday. Four were transferred from counties in the Kansas City metro area and northwestern Missouri. Seven people are waiting for a spot in the pilot program or a hospital.

Boyd said that although the department pays the sheriff’s office $900 a day to cover program costs, the jail has sometimes had to send general population inmates to other detention centers to keep a pod available for competency restoration, at a daily cost of $65-$100 per inmate.

Dr. Paula Oldeg, director of corrections medicine in St. Louis County, said that while jail-based services will not eliminate the waitlist, participants in the county’s pilot program have received a higher level of care than is usually available in the jail.

“A jail is not the best place to really treat any condition,” Oldeg said. “A jail is not designed for that. That said, if we don’t treat it, my gosh, people can languish. They can decompensate. They can really suffer, not just mentally but physically.”

A man who waited months to be transferred to a psychiatric hospital&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/23/man-dies-in-kc-jail-after-waiting-months-for-court-ordered-mental-health-treatment/">died</a>&nbsp;in a Kansas City jail in May. He started harming himself and lost touch with reality after being detained.

The St. Louis County pilot program, which accepted its first patients in January, has had 16 participants in all. Two have been deemed competent. One person was classified as permanently incompetent after multiple assessments. Two were released on bond or transferred. Two were dismissed for violent behavior. Two others opted out of the program.

Sheriffs in rural counties have had to rely on their own resources and community relationships to meet mental health needs in their jails.

Pemiscot County Sheriff Joe Bryant said his office contracts with a local company to provide services in his jail.

“They’ll come do that for us,” Bryant said, “which is great for us, because before that, there was really nothing.”

Perry County Sheriff Jason Klaus said there’s no room in his budget to hire a medical team, but he partners with a local provider to deliver substance use treatment in his 35-person jail at no charge to the sheriff’s office.&nbsp;

Klaus said that while he appreciates the mobile teams’ work, the competency restoration process doesn’t necessarily meet behavioral health needs.

He said that when possible, he works with attorneys and judges to allow inmates to enroll in residential treatment programs on bond or medical furlough. He’s looking into doing this for people in his jail on the competency restoration waitlist.

“I want to hold people accountable,” Klaus said. “No mistake about that. However, I also believe that somebody sitting in jail for an indefinite amount of time, it’s not getting anyone any kind of justice.”

Nearly 500 Missourians awaiting court-ordered mental health services, an all-time high

High costs and limited access in some parts of the country can keep people from getting needed health care.

By&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/author/suzanne-king/">SUZANNE KING</a> <a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/10/16/kansas-and-missouri-lag-national-average-for-medicare-recipient/">The Beacon</a>

Kansas and Missouri are below average when it comes to the cost and quality of Medicare coverage.

That’s according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/scorecard/2025/oct/state-scorecard-medicare-performance">new scorecard</a>&nbsp;from The Commonwealth Fund that looks at how seniors are faring under the government health insurance program that covers one in five Americans.

The report, released on the second day people could sign up for 2026 Medicare benefits, assessed 50 states and Washington, D.C. Researchers considered access to care; quality of care; cost and affordability; and population health.&nbsp;

Overall, Kansas ranked 27th and Missouri ranked 34th.&nbsp;

Medicare, which is marking its 60th anniversary, covers hospital stays and doctor visits for&nbsp;<a href="https://data.cms.gov/tools/medicare-enrollment-dashboard">69 million Americans</a>, including most people aged 65 and older and younger people with long-term disabilities. The program also covers prescription drugs for 56 million people.

Although Medicare is administered by the federal government and includes core benefits that are largely consistent across the country, some factors that vary by state influence how well it is working for beneficiaries.&nbsp;

These include the cost and availability of supplemental insurance plans and prescription coverage, how easy it is to find care close to home and the quality of that care.

“The report uncovers wide gaps in health care access, cost and quality,” Dr. Joseph Betancourt, president of The Commonwealth Fund, said during a conference call with reporters, “and clearly shows that Medicare, while a vital safety net for millions of Americans, is not working the same for everyone.”

Betancourt said he hopes policymakers use the report to identify gaps and adopt strategies to close them.

Missouri ranked 35th in cost and affordability, 32nd in access to care, 29th in quality of care and 28th in population health, according to The Commonwealth Fund’s scorecard. About 1.3 million Missourians — 21.5% of the state’s population — have Medicare.

Kansas ranked 50th on cost and affordability, 19th on both access to care and quality of care and 24th in population health, according to the scorecard. About 597,000 Kansans — 20% of the state’s population — have Medicare.

Only 13.7% of beneficiaries in Kansas receive a low-income subsidy, compared to 18% in Missouri and 20% nationwide. And 13.5% of older adults in Kansas have income at or near the federal poverty level, compared to 14.9% of older adults in Missouri and 18.9% nationwide.

The U.S. government launched Medicare in 1965, 20 years after the Truman administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/presidential-inquiries/challenge-national-healthcare">tried and failed</a>&nbsp;to push through a national health insurance program that would have provided government-sponsored insurance to people of all ages.

Eventually, Medicare became a compromise to get basic coverage to older Americans. As health insurance was becoming more common, younger Americans were largely getting coverage through their employers, leaving retired people without insurance as they reached an age when they were more likely to need health care.

Medicare began as very basic coverage to pay the bill if someone ended up in the hospital. Later, coverage for outpatient care was added. Today, it has evolved even more.

Now when people turn 65, they can choose to enroll in a traditional Medicare plan or a Medicare Advantage plan that offers more coverage. Under traditional plans, the government pays insurance claims. But with Medicare Advantage, coverage comes through private insurance companies.

Medicare Advantage, which generally costs patients less upfront, has steadily become more popular in recent years. In 2010,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicare/health-policy-101-medicare/?entry=table-of-contents-what-is-medicare-advantage-and-how-is-it-different-from-traditional-medicare">only one quarter</a>&nbsp;of Medicare participants chose a Medicare Advantage plan, but by 2025, the&nbsp;<a href="https://data.cms.gov/tools/medicare-enrollment-dashboard">private plans had 51%</a>&nbsp;of the national market. In Missouri, 54% of Medicare recipients are enrolled in private plans, compared to one-third of Kansans.

Medicare is divided into parts. Everyone gets Part A, which covers inpatient, hospital care. And most people get Part B, which covers outpatient care. Part D, which covers prescriptions, is optional and often paired with traditional Medicare coverage.

In addition to Part D, people who opt for traditional Medicare also usually pay for supplemental coverage, known as Medigap coverage, which fills in some of the services left out of Medicare coverage. Medicaid or an employer plan could also serve that purpose.

People who choose Medicare Advantage, also known as Part C, get everything rolled up together, including traditional coverage, plus other coverage, such as prescription, dental, vision and hearing. Advantage plans also sometimes include add-on services like gym memberships and transportation. And people on the plans often have to pay no or only minimal premiums.

The drawbacks of Medicare Advantage plans are that they can only be used with hospitals and physicians in an insurance plan’s network, and they are limited to certain geographic regions. And Medicare Advantage frequently requires patients to have specialty services pre-approved, known as prior authorization.&nbsp;

Finally, once a patient opts out of traditional Medicare in favor of Medicare Advantage, it may be difficult to switch back. That’s because in most states the insurance carriers that provide supplemental coverage aren’t required to accept patients once their initial Medicare enrollment is over.&nbsp;

“Insurance companies can look at your history and decide not to cover you,” said Louise Norris, health policy analyst with&nbsp;<a href="http://medicareresources.org/">MedicareResources.org</a>.&nbsp;

While commercial insurance rates are&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/09/16/kansas-city-workers-can-bet-on-paying-more-for-health-insurance-next-year/">expected to jump</a>&nbsp;an average of 9% next year, and premiums for plans in the Affordable Care Act marketplace&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/08/18/brace-for-sticker-shock-if-youre-buying-health-insurance-on-the-aca-marketplace/">will shoot up</a>&nbsp;even more, the premiums and out-of-pocket costs for Medicare recipients are expected to stay relatively stable.&nbsp;

Part A doesn’t cost beneficiaries anything, but Part B comes with a premium. Next year, those premiums are expected to be $206 a month, up from $185 in 2025, Norris said.&nbsp;

Average premiums for standalone Part D plans are expected to fall slightly to an average of $34.50, compared to $38.31 this year, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/medicare-advantage-medicare-prescription-drug-programs-expected-remain-stable-2026">projections</a>&nbsp;from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. But the annual cap for out-of-pocket costs&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicareresources.org/newsroom/press-releases/what-to-know-about-medicare-changes-before-you-shop-for-a-2026-plan/">will increase</a>&nbsp;to $2,100 from $2,000. And Part D drug plans also come with a deductible that patients must cover, and those will also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicareresources.org/faqs/what-kind-of-medicare-benefit-changes-can-i-expect-this-year/#footnote_1_1035">go up slightly</a>.

Meanwhile, the average monthly premium for Medicare Advantage plans, including plans with drug coverage, is expected to fall to $14 in 2026 from $16.40 this year. In Missouri&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/files/document/2026-ma-part-d-landscape-state-state-fact-sheet.pdf">average monthly premiums</a>&nbsp;will drop to $8.56 in 2026, from $10.66 this year. And Kansas’ will increase to $10.11 in 2026, from $9.54 this year.

But prices and plans available vary by region. People can look to&nbsp;<a href="http://medicare.gov/">Medicare.gov</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare">Medicare Plan Finder</a>, both government websites, for help. And independent sites like&nbsp;<a href="http://medicareresources.org/">MedicareResources.org</a>&nbsp;also provide&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicareresources.org/medicare-open-enrollment/">guides</a>&nbsp;and information that can help.

For personal help or to ask questions, every state offers a federally funded&nbsp;<a href="https://www.shiphelp.org/ships/">health insurance assistance program</a>, which provides free counselors who will help people sort through prescription needs and preferred providers to assess Medicare plans and choose the best option.

But even with help and advice, making a choice can be daunting, said Scott Miniea, executive director of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.missouriship.org/">Missouri SHIP</a>, that state’s assistance program.

Missouri has so many choices for Medicare coverage, including 157 plans in 2026, people get “decision paralysis,” Miniea said. SHIP counselors can’t make the decision, but they can be sure people they work with know all the options and potential pitfalls.

Missouri’s SHIP program has the capacity to help about 50,000 people with Medicare choices each year. And the organization will provide most of that help during the seven-week open enrollment period running from Oct. 15 to Dec.7.

“It’s a crazy 36 days starting tomorrow,” Miniea said in an Oct. 14 phone call.

He doesn’t expect the federal government shutdown to have an immediate effect on people trying to enroll. But on Oct. 15, CMS&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/fee-for-service-providers">said it would pause</a>&nbsp;Medicare payments to doctors due to the shutdown.

For the first time this year, people will need an email address in order to enroll in Medicare, which could create an obstacle for some people without a computer or internet access, Miniea said.&nbsp;

He knows his organization won’t be able to help every Missourian who needs it. But other nonprofits also offer navigation services. And insurance brokers can provide assistance, too. But Miniea cautioned people to be aware of any conflicts of interest when seeking advice. Some brokers, for example, get paid by insurance plans for enrolling patients.

Before making any decisions about a Medicare plan, people should look closely at all the details. Miniea advises people to go to an insurance company’s website or call the company directly to ask questions to be certain that the hospitals and doctors they will need fall within the plan’s coverage network. He also suggests documenting those conversations and capturing information found online in case an appeal is required later.

And, finally, he said, ask about discounts that may be available for people whose income is low enough, or about hidden perks and extra services that might make a plan more attractive.&nbsp;

The main thing, Miniea said, is to do your homework before settling.

“It’s a constantly changing landscape,” he said. “Get as educated as you can.”

Authors of The Commonwealth Fund scorecard said that the discrepancies in care across states are less pronounced for Medicare patients than for people getting health coverage in other ways.

“In many respects,” the authors wrote, “Medicare has succeeded in ensuring that the people it covers — no matter which state they live in — have similar experiences with health care.”

But there are still definite differences, they said. States that scored best offered Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans with better coverage, making accessing and affording care easier.&nbsp;

Top states, for example, had plans that are less likely to require prior authorization for preventative services and specialty care, which can be an obstacle.

In addition, top-ranked states had low Medicare program spending per person, which helped keep costs down for beneficiaries who often are charged a percentage of what Medicare pays. In Kansas, average out-of-pocket spending on prescriptions was $458, compared to the national average of $386. The average out-of-pocket cost in Missouri was $399.

And the best-ranked states also tended to have health care systems that performed well for people not covered by Medicare.&nbsp;

“This is a clear indication that a state’s policies, health care infrastructure and local clinical practice norms are having a positive impact on all residents,” the report said, “not just those in Medicare.”

As the Medicare enrollment window opens, a new study gives Missouri, Kansas below-average scores

In another step in the process toward accreditation, the proposed Benedictine College School of Osteopathic Medicine has announced a nationwide search for an Associate Dean of Pre-Clinical Curriculum. The position, part of the leadership team, is a requirement to achieve “candidate” status with the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, the Department of Education-recognized accrediting organization for colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.

Already on board with the leadership team are Marla DePolo Golden, DO, MS, FACEP, the Founding Dean, and Deacon Kevin Tulipana, DO, MS, the Associate Dean of Clinical Education. Dr. Golden came to Benedictine from the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine South Georgia, where she served as the Dean. Dr. Tulipana came to Benedictine from City of Hope Phoenix, a National Cancer Institute designated cancer center, where he served as President. He is also an ordained deacon with the Catholic Church.

“We are excited to find an innovative osteopathic medical educator, well versed in cutting edge curriculum delivery methods to round out our core team for the medical school,” said Dr. Golden.

The Dean of Pre-Clinical Curriculum position is primarily responsible for overseeing the foundational, first and second-year courses in medical school, a role that includes designing and implementing the curriculum, ensuring it’s efficient and effective delivery, recruiting and overseeing faculty, and creating processes for tracking data and assessments. This position focuses on ensuring students acquire the necessary knowledge and competencies to advance to clinical studies.

Interested candidates can apply and find more information about Benedictine College, employee benefits, and this position at www.benedictine.edu/jobs.

Dean of Curriculum sought for proposed Benedictine Medical School

LIVINGSTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 2:30p.m. Saturday in Livingston County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Mercury Grand Marquis driven by a 90-year-old Chillicothe man was traveling on Walnut Street and turned westbound into the parking lot of a business in Chillicothe. The diver mistook the brake for the gas pedal. The car accelerated and struck a 26-year-old Festus man who was exiting the business. The car came to rest on its wheels in the business.

Livingston County EMS transported the pedestrian to Hedrick Medical Center. He was later airlifted to Truman Medical Center. The driver was not injured.&nbsp;

90-year-old Mo. driver strikes man in crash into business

KFEQ Week in Review

EDITOR'S NOTE: The story has been updated. The Missouri State Highway Patrol crash log originally indicated a child was involved in the accident.

MERCER COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 6:30p.m. Friday in Mercer County.

THe Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Polaris Sportsman 500 driven by a 21-year-old Princeton man was eastbound on Desoto Avenue three miles SW of Mercer. The vehicle skidded, crossed the center of the road and overturned.

Mercy helicopter transported driver to Mercy One in Des Moines, Iowa for treatment of serious injuries. He not wearing a helmet, according to the patrol. The MSHP no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri man air lifted to hospital after ATV accident

December corn closed up 5 1/2 cents and March corn was up 7 1/4 cents. November soybeans closed up 25 1/2 cents and January soybeans were up 24 3/4 cents. December KC wheat closed up 12 3/4 cents, December Chicago wheat was up 13 1/2 cents, December Minneapolis wheat was up 3 1/4 cents.

There was no question late Sunday through Monday as to what was driving row-crop futures higher after positive comments from U.S. trade representatives following a weekend of negotiations with their Chinese counterparts in Malaysia sent the soybean market skyrocketing toward 2025 highs, pulling along corn and wheat futures for the ride. Meanwhile, outside markets were positive on the trade news as well, with higher energies and higher equities offering a foundation of support to futures.

It's completely fair to say, "it's been a miserable day," before the clock hits noon, when both the live cattle and feeder cattle contracts are trading at their expanded limits. Upon searching for a reason as to "why" the market was suffering so severely, unfortunately there's no new tangible reason why the market is enduring such catastrophic losses. Instead, the market continues to be pressured by the chaos that's been endured over the last two weeks between President Trump stating that he'd like to see beef prices lowered, talked about increased imports from Argentina and the technical pandemonium that's ensued ever since. Last week, Northern dressed cattle traded at mostly $370, which is $2.00 lower than the previous week's weighted average. Southern live cattle traded at mostly $238, which is $2.00 lower than the previous week's weighted average.

It was another gut-wrenching day for the feeder cattle complex as the market continued to sink unnervingly lower, and hitting its expanded limit for the day. Unfortunately, the spot November feeder cattle contract is nearly hitting its 100-day moving average, which could trigger even more technical pressure.

The lean hog complex also traded slightly lower into Monday's closing bell, feeling unsupported by the market's fundamentals. Until consumer support improves, it's unlikely that the market will see much more upside potential from a technical sense.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/10/27193253/web-closing-markets-1.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

Commodity markets daily recap

U.S. President Donald Trump announced an immediate end to trade negotiations with Canada late Thursday night. The Guardian said it’s a result of Trump’s opposition to a TV ad from Canada that quoted former president Ronald Reagan. The provincial government of Ontario paid for the ad, which uses excerpts from a 1987 speech where the former president said, “Trade barriers hurt every American worker.” 

Trump posted on social media that Canada had “fraudulently” used an advertisement which he called “fake,” and accused Canada of trying to interfere with U.S. court decisions on the tariffs. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that all trade negotiations have been suspended indefinitely. Trump also claimed that the ad was intended to influence the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court hearings on the legality of his global tariffs. Those hearings begin on November 5. The ad also quoted Reagan as saying, “The way to prosperity is working together.” 

Trump terminates trade talks with Canada

In a misguided effort to lower beef prices in U.S. grocery stores, President Trump plans to increase the volume of beef imports from Argentina. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said efforts to manipulate markets only risk damaging the livelihoods of American producers while doing little to impact what consumers pay at the grocery store. “The U.S. already faces a deep trade imbalance with Argentina, and it will only be made worse by the President’s plan,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall.

 “During the past five years, Argentina has shipped more than $800 million worth of beef to the U.S., while purchasing only $7 million worth of U.S. beef.” As if that’s not enough, Argentina as a nation has a long history of foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks, and Woodall said USDA hasn’t completed the necessary steps to ensure Argentina can guarantee the safety of products being shipped here, further endangering America’s cattle herd. 

U.S. already faces trade imbalance with Argentina

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

Most crop and product futures were lower on Friday, with the exception of wheat and soybean meal markets. Overall, the slip in corn and soybean futures heading into the weekend can likely be chalked up to profit-taking as well as producers taking advantage of the price bounce to secure any cash flow needs as harvest winds down. Outside markets for Friday were mostly positive, with Consumer Price Index data for September showing a slight uptick in U.S. inflation, but below what had been expected, keeping the Federal Reserve on track to cut interest rates in its meeting next week and likely again in December and possibly in January as well. Energy markets were higher on follow-through from Thursday's spike due to steep U.S. sanctions on the Russian oil industry.

Emotional damage done this past week is the primary reason why the cattle complex was trading lower. With the chaos that ensued over the announcement of potentially cheapening beef prices with Argentina imports, the market was a hot topic this week for everyone. Now that the market sits a couple of hours away from closing for the week, traders are waving their white flag, all but saying, "We've had enough already, let this week end."

The lean hog complex traded mixed as the market didn't have enough support to really push prices higher ahead of the day's close, so a mixed tone is what traders felt safest with.

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Clean Fuels Alliance America wrote to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and asked him to close a loophole in the administration’s Reciprocal Tariff Regime. Under President Trump’s Executive Order, diesel and renewable diesel are both exempted from reciprocal tariffs because both are classified under the same Harmonized Tariff Schedule heading. 

“This loophole invites duty-free access to the United States for imported renewable diesel, putting U.S. biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel producers, who are essential to America’s energy and farm security, at a competitive disadvantage,” the letter said. “Given the ongoing imports of foreign renewable diesel and current challenges for domestic producers and farmers, we ask that you take prompt action to close the loophole.” 

Kurt Kovarik, vice president of federal affairs for Clean Fuels, said, “Domestic biomass-based diesel represents ten percent of the value of all U.S.-grown soybeans.” That means U.S. trade policy must consistently support U.S. producers.

Clean Fuels Wants Tariff Loophole Closed

&nbsp; The Energy Information Administration said the U.S. is heading toward a record amount of ethanol exports in 2025. It’s the second-straight year of growth, driven by growing overseas demand, especially in the EU. This growing market for exports is supporting increased U.S. fuel production, even as domestic demand and consumption stagnate. 

In the first seven months of this year, American fuel ethanol exports averaged 138,000 barrels a day, the highest January through July data, which goes back to 2010, and nine percent more than 2024’s annual record for fuel ethanol exports. Increased exports to the Netherlands accounted for most of the growth from 2024 to 2025, likely reflecting Europe’s growing demand. Also, India, the U.K., and Canada, which all have blend mandates, continue to import substantial volumes of fuel ethanol. The EIA said growth in fuel exports has pushed domestic production past the pre-COVID peak in 2018, despite lower domestic consumption.&nbsp;

U.S. Ethanol Exports to Set Record

President Donald Trump responded to the backlash against his plan to import beef from Argentina to help lower beef prices in U.S. grocery stores. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said cattlemen should be grateful for his tariff policies. “The cattle ranchers, who I love, don’t understand that the only reason they’re doing so well, for the first time in decades, is because I put tariffs on cattle coming into the U.S., including a 50 percent tariff on beef from Brazil,” Trump said in his post. 

A Bloomberg report said the plan has drawn the ire of ranchers, who say it could crush the U.S. beef industry. Experts have also said the plan would do little to lower prices at meat counters across the country. The White House plans to increase the tariff-rate quota for Argentinian beef to 80,000 metric tons, effectively quadrupling the amount exempt from 26.4 percent tariffs.

President Trump Fires Back at Upset U.S. Cattle Producers

December corn closed up 5 cents and March corn was up 5 1/2 cents. November soybeans closed up 10 cents and January soybeans were up 12 cents. December KC wheat closed up 11 1/2 cents, December Chicago wheat was up 9 1/4 cents, December Minneapolis wheat was up 10 1/4 cents.

Corn, soybean, and wheat markets all enjoyed higher sessions for Thursday, with the wheat market taking a rare position as the daily leader, as sub-$5.00 prices for nearby Kansas City futures may finally be incentivizing some short covering amongst traders. Meanwhile, U.S. and Chinese officials are set to meet in Malaysia this weekend to hopefully set the stage for the long-anticipated meeting between Presidents Trump and Xi at the end of the month. Outside markets for Thursday were very supportive of Ag futures, especially from an energies standpoint, with crude oil futures launching higher on fresh U.S. sanctions against Russia's biggest oil producers.

Now that the live cattle industry has had time to see and absorb Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins plan to revitalize the U.S. beef herd, the market was back to trading higher as traders and industry experts saw no real issue with the proposal. There are some bids beginning to hit the market as packers have offered $238 live in Nebraska and $370 dressed in Nebraska. But at this time, no major sales have been reported. Asking prices are still not established in the North but are now listed in the South at $243 plus. Packer interest could improve later this afternoon, but it's most likely that trade is delayed until Friday as feedlot managers are going to try to see prices trade higher again this week.

The feeder cattle complex is still trading sorely lower, as it remains uneasy with the cattle complex being a hot ticket item this week for the President. The spot November contract is nearing the market's 40-day moving average, which would be a bad threshold to cross for the market as it could signal more downward pressure.

With pork cutout values lower again today, it comes as no real surprise that the lean hog complex is trading lower yet again. Unfortunately, it's most likely that the market will continue to trade sideways/somewhat lower throughout the remainder of the week as support is expected to significantly change ahead of the week's end.

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For the past year, the drumbeat across cattle country has been lower herd numbers, market fluctuations and rising input costs. Total beef supply tightened by 3% and beef retail prices climbed to an average of $8 per pound. Yet consumer demand for beef surged to a 40-year high. Despite the challenges, Certified Angus Beef (CAB) sales reached 1.235 billion pounds globally, marking it one of the brand’s strongest years in history. 

“The brand’s success this year is the direct result of the hard work and innovation across our entire beef community,” says John Stika, CAB president. “It’s their intentional efforts to win with Certified Angus Beef year in and year out that have allowed this brand to thrive over 47 years.” This year marks the brand’s third-best year, with a record-setting month in November and the brand’s all-time best sales month in March. April and May followed with strength heading into grilling season, landing in the brand’s top 10 for monthly sales.

Despite challenges, beef demand at 40-Year high

The American Petroleum Institute (API) on Tuesday urged congressional leadership to adopt a more balanced and up-to-date approach to E15 legislation, warning the current proposal no longer reflects today's fuel market realities. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, API President and CEO Mike Sommers said sweeping changes to federal biofuel policy, state volatility mandates, and market conditions have upended the fuels landscape, prompting API to oppose the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025 in its current form. 

The letter details how recent changes to federal tax rules, EPA decisions, and state-level policy reversals have imposed new costs on refiners and disrupted the fuels marketplace. Sommers urged lawmakers to pursue a holistic and balanced approach to E15 that supports consumer choice while maintaining reliable, affordable fuel supply. 

API calls for balanced E15 policy amid shifting market realities

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The president of the Kansas Senate said Monday a sufficient number of Senate Republicans signed a petition to call a special session of the Legislature to consider new congressional district boundaries to improve odds of defeating Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids.

Senate President Ty Masterson, who is seeking the GOP nomination for governor, said the minimum 27 signatures, or a two-thirds majority of the Senate, had been achieved. Republicans hold a 31-9 advantage over Democrats in the chamber.

“The Kansas Senate Republican caucus has secured the signatures needed to exceed the constitutional threshold, demonstrating strong support for this call for a special session,” Masterson said. “This threshold having been met marks a critical step toward convening the session, pending the necessary two-thirds approval from the House of Representatives.”

To complete requirements in the Kansas Constitution for calling a special session, GOP leaders in the House need to obtain 84 signatures on its petition. In the House, the GOP possesses an 88-37 edge over Democrats.

Despite sending a letter to House Republicans lobbying for support of a special session, House Speaker Dan Hawkins has not announced he landed commitments from enough GOP peers. A spokesperson for Hawkins didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about Masterson’s statement.

President Donald Trump, seeking to maintain GOP control of the U.S. House, urged Republican-led states to engage in mid-decade gerrymandering of U.S. House seats to prevent Democrats from winning a majority in November 2026.

Typically, redistricting in Kansas has been done every decade based on population shifts documented in the Census. In Kansas, that timeline meant mapping wouldn’t ordinarily be done again until 2032.

The objective of redistricting in Kansas in 2025 would be to distribute moderate voters of Johnson County into two or three congressional districts that would more likely be represented by Republicans.

Currently, Davids serves all of Johnson County, the southern half of Wyandotte County and all of Anderson, Franklin and Miami counties.

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