Missouri Western State University, the Community Action Partnership of Greater St. Joseph (CAP St. Joe), and the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday morning at Wilson Hall to celebrate the expansion of the campus-based Head Start facility.

The expansion, funded by more than $630,000 in grants, introduces two new Early Head Start classrooms for children ages birth to 3, an upgraded food service area, and an enhanced outdoor learning environment. President of Missouri Western State University, Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, says, "There is kind of a child care desert in St. Joe, so this is expansion is beneficial to the community."

Since moving to the MoWest campus in 2023, the program has served as a dual-purpose hub for regional family support and collegiate training.

"This program represents the best of what MoWest strives to do," said Kennedy. "We are supporting young children and families in our region while creating real-world learning opportunities for our future professionals."

The February expansion was designed to meet a growing demand for early childhood services in the St. Joseph area. According to Kayla Marmaud of CAP St. Joe, the new facilities strengthen the infrastructure for the region's youngest residents.

"This ribbon cutting celebrates the growth of the program since coming to campus," Marmaud said. "With expanded classrooms and new improvements, we’re continuing to strengthen services for local children and families."

Families interested in Head Start or Early Head Start services can call CAP St. Joe at 816-233-8281.

MoWest and CAP St. Joe celebrate Head Start expansion

Average gas prices are $2.92 in Kansas and $2.98 in Missouri. California tops the nation at $5.20 per gallon.

By Ashley Murray <a href="https://www.kcur.org/">Missouri Independent</a>

WASHINGTON — Americans are paying more for gas as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran chokes off a significant route for roughly one-fifth of the world’s petroleum products.

Global prices for Brent crude oil, the international standard, climbed over $100 a barrel. Prices were just above $70 a barrel in the days before the U.S. and Israel launched a surprise Feb. 28 attack on Iran, killing the regime’s top leader and other powerful government figures.

The spike, which peaked at $119.50 per barrel early Monday, caused ricochets throughout markets, with major stock indexes falling worldwide. Oil prices have not reached costs above $100 per barrel&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=55079#:~:text=Crude%20oil%20prices%20increased%20in%20the%20first,2022%20price%2C%20at%20$75/b%2C%20on%20December%208." target="_blank">since mid-2022</a>&nbsp;after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in Ukraine.

Following the Feb. 28 strikes, Iranian officials effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, threatening and reportedly attacking vessels attempting to cross the narrow passage.

Iran’s top security official,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dw.com/en/who-is-ali-larijani-the-unofficial-strongman-in-iran/a-76202526" target="_blank">Ali Larijani</a>, reinforced on the social media platform X on Monday that vessels trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz are not guaranteed safety as the conflict continues.

“It is unlikely that any security will be achieved in the Strait of Hormuz amid the fires of the war ignited by the United States and Israel in the region,” Larijani&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/alilarijani_ir/status/2031017694468747369?s=20" target="_blank">wrote</a>.

President Donald Trump defended the price spike late Sunday in a&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116196014942465383" target="_blank">post</a>&nbsp;on his online platform, Truth Social.

“Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace. ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY! President DJT,” he wrote.

The national average for gasoline in the U.S. rose to $3.48 per gallon Monday, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/state-gas-price-averages/" target="_blank">AAA gasoline price survey</a>. That’s up from $3.25 per gallon on March 5, according to the survey.

AAA data shows consumers in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Illinois experienced the highest prices in the Midwest and eastern U.S., with average retail prices ranging from $3.52 to nearly $3.60 for a gallon of regular gas.

Western states, which tend to pay higher gas prices already, saw an average gallon of regular surpass $4. California topped the nation’s list at $5.20 per gallon.

The price to fill up in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma remained the lowest, hovering between $2.92 to $2.99. That’s up from a week ago when prices averaged $2.47 in Oklahoma, $2.57 in Kansas and $2.61 in Arkansas.

GasBuddy, a platform that helps users find the cheapest gas prices in their area, put the national average Monday of regular at $3.45, and diesel at just over $4.59.

“In just a week, consumers have seen gasoline prices surge at one of the fastest rates in years after oil prices spiked following U.S. strikes on Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said.

De Haan added in a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/GasBuddyGuy/status/2030994428605640833?s=20" target="_blank">blog post</a>&nbsp;Monday that the reason behind oil prices pushing past $100 a barrel for the first time in years is “fuel markets are now rapidly recalibrating to the risk of prolonged disruption to global supply flows.”

“As a result, gasoline prices in many states could climb another 20 to 50 cents per gallon this week, with price-cycling markets potentially seeing increases as early as today,” De Haan said.

Prior to the war, average U.S. gas prices sat just under $3, with expectations for seasonal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/iran-war-drives-gas-price-uncertainty-ahead-busy-summer-season" target="_blank">increases</a>&nbsp;as warmer weather triggers more demand and refineries produce pricier summer blends.

This story was first published by States Newsroom and the Missouri Independent.

Gas prices in Kansas, Missouri are among nation's lowest as they spike amid Iran war

Among the first non-budget bills this year to pass the General Assembly targets predatory behavior toward young people and would extend the statute of limitations for survivors of childhood sex trafficking from 10 to 20 years

BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<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>

The Missouri House approved legislation Thursday aimed at cracking down on sex trafficking and sexual exploitation while shifting punishment away from survivors and giving first responders more training to identify and prevent the crimes.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB2273&amp;year=2026&amp;code=R" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;would increase penalties for distributing sexual images without consent, clarify that predatory conduct toward minors can be prosecuted even if no sexual contact occurs, and allow survivors of adult sex trafficking to expunge certain convictions from their records. It is sponsored by Republican state Reps. Ed Lewis of Moberly, Jeff Myers of Warrenton, Christopher Warwick of Bolivar and Burt Whaley of Clever.

The House passed the bill 134-2, after the Senate approved it unanimously on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Myers hailed the legislation as the fruit of a multi-year effort that has garnered bipartisan support.

“My hope is that we can leave here today knowing that we have accomplished something significant in the fight against modern day slavery,” Myers said.

A portion of the legislation, sponsored by Myers and Lewis,&nbsp;<a href="https://archive.house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1464&amp;year=2025&amp;code=R" target="_blank">last year</a>&nbsp;passed the House and advanced out of a Senate committee.&nbsp;

More than 50 mentions of “child pornography” in statute would be changed to “child sexual abuse material.”

Lewis told lawmakers in January that this makes clear that minors can’t consent to being depicted in porn.

“Child sexual abuse material’ indicates what it is,” Lewis said. “If a person is under the age of 18, if they’re 17 and under, they cannot provide consent.”

The legislation adds “grooming” to the state’s existing felony of enticement of a minor to clarify that actions intended to condition someone under age 18 to engage in sexual conduct do not have to culminate in sex to be a crime.&nbsp;

Online enticement reports increased by more than 300% between 2021 and 2023, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/sextortion#bythenumbers" target="_blank">National Center for Missing and Exploited Children</a>. The center received more than 456,000 reports of online enticement in the first 10 months of 2024.

The version of the bill initially presented to a House committee in January would have established grooming as a separate offense. Warwick said the sponsors worked with prosecutors to tweak state statute on enticement.

“We’ve been able to add in the grooming portions and tighten up what enticement of a child is through this new legislation,” Warwick said.

These provisions, named “Evie and Sophie’s Law” for sisters who&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/01/20/missouri-lawmakers-signal-bipartisan-support-for-bills-to-curb-child-sexual-abuse/">recounted</a>&nbsp;to lawmakers their abuse by their Taekwondo teacher, are designed to give survivors a clear legal path against their abusers.

During hearings on the bill, Evie and Sophie’s dad, Jeff Dixon, showed lawmakers a thick binder containing “a third of the 17,000 text messages” he said were sent to his daughters by their instructor, who tried to persuade one of the teens to run away to Florida with him. Dixon said his family was told the instructor had done nothing illegal.

The offense of enticement currently carries a prison term between five and 30 years without eligibility for parole for five years. The bill would mandate a minimum sentence of 10 years when grooming resulted in a minor engaging in sex. Offenders in these cases would be ineligible for parole for 10 years.

The bill would also increase penalties for “sextortion” — the distribution of private sexual images of someone without their consent. Sextorting a minor would be a class C felony, punishable by three to 10 years in prison. Sextortion, regardless of the age of the victim, is currently punishable by up to seven years in prison.

It would make sextortion of a minor punishable by up to 10 years in prison and ramp up penalties for repeated threats of sextortion.

These provisions were named for Evan Boettler, who in 2024 took his own life at 16 after someone tricked him into sending a photo of himself online by posing as a classmate and threatened to blast it to the teen’s friends, family and community members.

Brad Boettler, Evan’s father, told lawmakers in January that he and his wife found messages on Evan’s phone demanding money, gift cards and account access, recalling a message saying, “I have your picture now. Are you ready to comply?”&nbsp;

The legislation would revive a&nbsp;<a href="https://dps.mo.gov/dir/programs/cvsu/council.php" target="_blank">statewide council</a>&nbsp;on human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children that last met in 2023, placing it permanently in the Attorney General’s Office and adding several members, including an executive director appointed by the attorney general.&nbsp;

Juvenile officers, law enforcement, prosecuting attorneys and emergency medical staff would see additional training requirements in identifying and preventing sex and human trafficking of children and adults.

The Senate removed language that would have required hotel employees to undergo annual anti-trafficking training — the only aspect of the legislation to draw pushback on Thursday.

Democratic state Rep. Pattie Mansur of Kansas City said the hotel workers’ training requirement in earlier versions had appealed to her.

“That’s a really important piece coming from Kansas City,” Mansur said. “You can imagine, with all the lodging establishments, that’s actually a really appealing part of this bill, because so much of that trafficking goes through our area lodging establishments.”

Lewis said that omitting this part of the bill “wasn’t [his] preference.”

“Is this a perfect bill?” he said. “Nothing’s perfect.”

Lewis said he might revisit some parts of the legislation for changes in future years, but he said he is overall satisfied.

“This is a long, long effort, a comprehensive bill,” Lewis said. “It’s going to make a difference in the lives of Missourians.”

Anti-sex trafficking legislation headed to Missouri governor’s desk

ATCHISON COUNTY —Police arrested a 14 year old boy on Thursday on requested charges of aggravated assault that occurred in the 1100 block North 7th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

Just after 5p.m. Thursday, police investigated a disturbance that had occurred in a park between two boys ages 13 and 14.

During that disturbance the 14 year old threatened the 13 year old with a knife and a crowbar, according to Wilson.&nbsp; That investigation led to the arrest of the 14 year old boy. He was transported to a juvenile detention facility.

Police: Kan. boy threatened 13-year-old with knife, crowbar

(Radio Iowa) - The Iowa Natural Resource Commission has approved several large projects at facilities around the state. 

The D-N-R's Travis Baker says one project includes work near the beach of Brushy Creek Recreation Area to improve stormwater runoff control. He says during heavy rains stormwater will exceed the capacity of the existing stormwater infrastructure and causes significant beach erosion. The N-R-C approved spending 248-thousand-478 dollars for the project. The N-R-C approved a project for a new water control structure at the Myrie Slough&nbsp; Wildlife Management Area in Winnebago Count west of Forest City. He says it will give them better control of water levels in the 220 acre marsh that is popular for duck hunting and bird watching.

 The restrooms at the Templar State Recreation Area boat, ramp in Dickinson County will be moved closer to the boat ramp .There will be new sidewalks and parking spaces along with the restrooms at a cost of 316-thousand dollars. The N-R-C also approved a project at Pikes Peak State Park in Clayton County to replace the liners in the wastewater lagoons at a cost of 160-thousand dollars.

Iowa NRC Approves Several Projects

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), in partnership with the Missouri Invasive Plant Council (MoIP) and several local forestry organizations, is officially bringing back the Callery Pear Buyback program for 2026. 

The initiative aims to reclaim Missouri’s natural beauty by replacing invasive, brittle trees with hardy, beneficial native species.

The deal is straightforward: if you cut down at least one invasive Callery (Bradford) pear tree on your property, you are eligible to receive a high-quality native tree for free. These replacement trees come in three-gallon containers and typically stand between 2 and 4 feet tall - which is considered the perfect size for successful transplanting. One free tree is provided to each registered participant at their selected location on the day of the event.

While the white blossoms of the Callery pear may look attractive from a distance, they are a major menace to Missouri’s ecosystem. These trees are notorious for their "wet bread" or fishy odor and their structurally weak, top-heavy canopies that frequently snap during common Midwest storms. Beyond being a hazard to property, they are aggressively invasive, choking out native plants and providing little to no value for local wildlife. As MoIP Chairperson Carol Davit notes, their white blossoms in spring serve as an "alarming" reminder of how quickly they spread across our roadsides and parks.

To participate, you must register online at <a target="_blank" href="http://moinvasives.org/pear-buyback/">moinvasives.org/pear-buyback/</a> between March 16 and April 16. Once registered, you can pick up a new native tree on April 21 from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. at one of more than 20 locations across the state, including Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, Columbia, and St. Joseph.

The collaborative effort is made possible by financial and administrative support from the Missouri Community Forestry Council, Magnificent Missouri, the Missouri Prairie Foundation, and the MDC, with tree donations from Forrest Keeling Nursery and Forest ReLeaf of Missouri.

Missouri’s 2026 Callery Pear Buyback: Trade your invasive trees for free native trees

The historic landscape of downtown St. Joseph reaches a new milestone as The United, located at 602 Felix Street, officially opens its doors to the community with the United Bridal Show &amp; Open House on Saturday, March 29, from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. 

The event serves as a dual celebration, functioning as both a premier bridal showcase and a community open house intended to highlight the building’s extensive transformation from a historic department store into a sophisticated 6,000-square-foot ballroom. The restoration was executed to preserve the unique architectural character of the original space while providing a modern, elegant venue for weddings, celebrations, and special events.

“This event is really about opening our doors and inviting people to experience The United,” said Stacy Fisher, Managing Partner of The United. “We’re excited to bring people downtown, showcase incredible local vendors, and create a space where the community can gather to celebrate weddings, events, and special moments.”

Guests attending the open house will have the opportunity to explore the expansive venue while connecting with a curated selection of local wedding professionals, including florists, photographers, DJs, beauty experts, caterers, bakers, and bridal fashion specialists. 

The event is free and open to the public, offering attendees complimentary drinks, food, and various vendor giveaways throughout the afternoon. Visitors are encouraged to tour the newly restored facility and learn more about the amenities available for upcoming celebrations.

“Downtown St. Joseph has so much history and character,” Fisher said. “We’re proud to be part of the energy and revitalization happening here and hope The United becomes a place where people come together for memorable celebrations.”

For updates and event details, visit The United’s Facebook page.

Historic St. Joseph Landmark set to debut with United Bridal Show and Community Open House

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 — U.S. Rep. Derek Schmidt filed for reelection Thursday to a second term in Congress and argued it would be important to retain a Republican majority in the House to support President Donald Trump’s agenda.

Schmidt, who served a dozen years as state attorney general and in the Kansas Senate for a decade, was elected to the 2nd District seat following retirement of U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner. The eastern Kansas district stretches from Nebraska to Oklahoma, but excludes the Kansas City region served by Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids.

He said it would be important to sustain a GOP majority in the U.S. House to avoid “absolute gridlock” among a Democratic-led House, a likely Republican-controlled Senate and the president. Polling indicates Democrats could take control of the House in November’s elections.

“We want to keep the progress going,” Schmidt said. “We made good progress in terms of the cost of government, both on the regulatory side and on the tax side. Big parts of the farm bill are done. Big progress in terms of securing the border. And, big progress in terms of reinvesting in the military.”

Schmidt, who considers himself from Independence but has resided in Lawrence, would face Chad Young of Lawrence in the Republican Party’s primary in August. Two Democrats, Don Coover and Braeden Curwick, signed on to seek that 2nd District nomination.

Schmidt said he wasn’t aware of development in the state House and Senate on a bill recasting the state’s four U.S. House districts in an effort to make it easier to defeat Davids. The idea was to fracture Johnson County into multiple congressional districts and weaken Davids’ base of support in 2026, but the attempt to secure enough petition signatures of state legislators for a special session last year fizzled.

“I expect to run a reelection campaign with the 2nd District as it currently stands,” Schmidt said. “That changes because the Legislature goes in a different direction, we’ll adopt accordingly.”

Schmidt said a priority would be to place in federal law the policy objectives of the Trump administration, including handling of people in the United States without authorization. He said changes to immigration law needed to be “Biden-proofed.” He was referring to former Democratic President Joe Biden.

The 2024 national elections were tied to voter demand that politicians work to make the cost of living more affordable. An initial consequence of the U.S. war with Iran has been escalation in energy prices, which voters readily observe while driving past any gas station.

“There’s a lot more progress to be made on the cost-of-living issues,” said Schmidt, who blamed the Biden administration for injecting inflationary pressures into the economy. “We’ve tried to take a different approach of actually dealing with the underlying problems. Not saying we’ve done it perfectly, but I’m saying that’s the philosophy we’ve tried to bring.”

Schmidt said Kansans who are convinced the GOP-led House allowed the executive branch to seize too much power were likely critics of Trump’s policies.

“I know there are people who are concerned about it,” Schmidt said. “For the most part, they tend to be people who disagree with the policy direction the administration has gone.”

Republican congressman files for reelection in Kansas’ 2nd District

As the state legislature heads into its spring break, the House has sent eight education bills to the Senate

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

The Missouri House this week passed bills cutting extraneous teacher training requirements and adding supports for literacy in elementary schools. At the halfway point of the legislative session, the House has approved eight education bills.

The Senate has passed one bill related to education, which would allow students in urban school districts to miss school to accompany their parents to the polls and change the terms for Independence School Board members from six to three years.

On Thursday, the House approved&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB2872&amp;year=2026&amp;code=R" target="_blank">legislation</a>&nbsp;aimed at improving literacy rates in elementary schools in a 131-10 vote.

The bill would create a test to screen students in grades K-3 for reading deficiencies. It pushes for intensive reading instruction and interventions for students falling behind. And those with a “substantial reading deficiency” at the end of third grade will be held back unless they qualify for an exemption.

Students with disabilities, English-language learners and those who have already been held back once are eligible for exemptions.

“The goal is not (third-grade) retention,” the bill’s sponsor, Republican state Rep. Cathy Joy Loy from Carthage, said Tuesday. “The goal is literacy, making sure that children learn to read early so that retention becomes unnecessary.”

The prospect of holding students back one grade level made some lawmakers nervous, though they came around to support the bill as a whole.

State Rep. Kem Smith, a Democrat from Florissant, said she was initially hesitant about the retention provision. But she talked to relatives in Mississippi, which has retained third-grade students for over a decade, and they commended the policy.

“The retention piece is important because it says to people around the state that we really understand the importance of literacy and the impact it has on our communities,” Smith said.

She added a provision to the bill that compels parents to get involved, notifying them at the end of second grade if their child is deficient in reading.

The legislation also bolsters efforts to promote phonics instruction, restricting the use of the three-cueing method as a primary source of reading instruction.

The House also passed a&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB2335&amp;year=2026&amp;code=R" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;to reduce teachers’ workload by eliminating “redundant” training requirements.

The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Ann Kelley, a Republican from Lamar and former teacher, said the legislation is intended to “give flexibility” to schools.

She described the excitement of the week leading up to the first day of school, recalling the frenzy of teachers decorating and organizing their classrooms.

“Then, on your first day, teachers are informed they have x days to complete all the computer trainings that are required,” she said in a House debate Monday. “Which takes many, many, many hours. This is time that is taken away from teachers, time that could be spent preparing for students.”

Watching the same videos each year shouldn’t be a requirement, she said, though her bill would allow schools to make that call for their staff. The legislation mandates training for three consecutive years. Beyond that, it is up to administrators to decide what is necessary for their staff.

“The current one size fits all approach would not adequately consider the unique needs of our diverse educational environments,” she said Wednesday. “This legislation places decision-making back in the hands of local school boards and educators. They know their teachers and their specific needs better than anyone else.”

The bill received support from both sides of the aisle. Retired teacher and state Rep. Connie Steinmetz, a Maryland Heights Democrat, applauded the flexibility the legislation gives to schools.

“It only makes sense that we would allow the school districts to be able to pick and choose which (training courses) that the teachers should do, especially after they’ve done it for three years,” she said.

State Rep. Ed Lewis, a Republican from Moberly and retired educator, recalled the hassle of reviewing the same videos each year. Eliminating these requirements would make teachers’ jobs “a little bit better.”

“If there’s any bill Missouri teachers want us to pass this year,” he said, “This is it.”

The bill passed with just two opposed: Republican state Reps. Mazzie Christensen of Bethany and Lisa Durnell of Willow Springs.

Missouri House passes legislation on literacy, teacher training requirements

The plan Republicans forced through the Legislature meets standards for compactness and contiguity, the judge ruled

BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

The&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/12/gerrymandered-congressional-map-initiative-petitions-limits-sent-to-missouri-governor/">gerrymandered congressional map</a>&nbsp;pushed through the General Assembly by Republicans meets constitutional requirements for districts to be compact and contiguous, a Jackson County&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Wise%20et%20al%20and%20Healey%20et%20al%20v%20State%20Order%20and%20Judgment.PDF?courtCode=16&amp;di=30514046" target="_blank">judge ruled Thursday</a>.

The decision from Circuit Judge Adam Caine is the third Missouri court ruling to reject a constitutional challenge to the plan intended to shift the 5th Congressional District to the Republican Party. In earlier rulings, Cole County Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh has upheld Gov. Mike Kehoe’s authority to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/special-session-to-redraw-missouri-congressional-districts-was-constitutional-judge-rules/">convene the special session</a>&nbsp;that passed the plan and the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/09/missouri-gerrymander-congressional-map-referendum/">legislature’s power to enact it</a>&nbsp;without a new census report.

In Thursday’s ruling, Caine did not address the question of whether lawmakers had authority to enact the map. That question, he noted, is in the hands of the Missouri Supreme Court, which&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/03/10/lawmaker-power-to-draw-gerrymandered-congressional-map-tested-at-missouri-supreme-court/">heard the appeal on Tuesday</a>.

Lawmakers approved the map in September&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/25/trump-white-house-pressing-missouri-republicans-to-redraw-congressional-map/">under pressure from President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;to help maintain the slim Republican majority in the U.S. House. Along with the legal challenges to the map itself, opponents who hope to force a referendum submitted&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/12/09/missouri-gerrymander-congressional-map-referendum/">more than 300,000 signatures</a>&nbsp;in December.

The referendum has become a major legal tangle of its own, with cases over&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-delays-decision-on-signatures-for-missouri-referendum-on-gerrymandered-map/">which signatures should be checked</a>&nbsp;and whether the map passed in September&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/02/10/judge-to-decide-whether-missouris-gerrymandered-congressional-map-is-in-effect/">is in effect</a>&nbsp;for this year’s election.&nbsp;

Incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, meanwhile, has&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/02/24/emanuel-cleaver-four-republicans-file-for-missouris-gerrymandered-5th-district/">filed for re-election</a>, with five Republicans already filed for the August primary.

Caine took evidence in the case filed by the Washington, D.C.-based Campaign Legal Center , the ACLU Voting Rights Project and the ACLU of Missouri over four days in February. The evidence, he wrote, was not enough to convince him to override the legislature.

While discussing historic district maps and the plan passed in 2022 that last year’s enactment is intended to replace, Caine noted that Kansas City and Jackson County have been split into multiple districts for decades and other counties around the state have been whole and split at various times.

“The result of plaintiffs’ position in these cases would be for the court to make value judgments about which communities should be divided in redistricting plans,” Caine wrote.

In a statement Thursday afternoon, Attorney General Catherine Hanaway called the ruling “a complete victory for Missouri and for the people’s elected representatives.”

Caine’s ruling will be appealed, the three organizations said in a joint statement.

The map violates the Missouri Constitution’s requirements that districts be as compact as possible, the statement read.

“Drawn under direct pressure from the Trump administration, the map divides the Kansas City area across multiple sprawling districts in clear violation of that constitutional mandate,” the organizations said. “If allowed to stand, it would represent a significant setback for fair representation in Missouri.”

At trial, Caine consolidated two cases with common claims. In one, the lawsuit argued that the map was unconstitutional because a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/18/court-battle-looms-over-kc-precinct-listed-twice-in-missouris-new-congressional-map/">precinct identifier was used twice</a>&nbsp;in the law enacting the districts. There are two distinct geographic areas with the same designation — VTD 811 — in the Census Bureau files used for determining the population of any particular location.

The only confusion was that there are two, Caine wrote. Each, he wrote, “has a unique GEOID, a unique alphanumeric identifier, that allows mapping software to assign each separately to the appropriate district.”

A large portion of the ruling is a discussion of particular measures of how compact the districts were.

“The 2025 plan is not an outlier and is within historical measures of compactness scores,” Caine wrote.

The new map splits five of Missouri’s 114 counties, with seven total portions from those five. The map approved in 2022 split nine counties, with 10 total portions. The number of municipalities in two or more districts was reduced from 30 to 13, Caine wrote.

Under the map approved by lawmakers in 2022, the 5th District is entirely contained within Jackson and Clay counties and includes most of Kansas City south and north of the Missouri River.&nbsp;

The map approved by lawmakers last year puts portions of Kansas City north of the river into the 6th District, and puts sections of the city into the 4th and 5th Districts and pairs those areas with places as far away as Columbia in the 5th District and Lebanon in the 4th District.&nbsp;

The organizations challenging the map argued that splitting Kansas City and Jackson County divided it as a community of interest and diminished its ability to influence the selection of representatives.

In his ruling, Caine wrote that Kansas City, and Jackson County, has a larger portion of the population in the 4th, 5th and 6th districts than any other community.

Each Missouri congressional district has 769,364 people counted in the 2020 census. Kansas City has 126,008 people in the 4th District, 174,515 in the 5th District and 207,567 people in the 6th District, Caine wrote. Sedalia, the largest city in the 4th District, has 21,275 people, he wrote, and Jefferson City, the largest city entirely within the 5th, has 43,228.

Jackson County has 330,299 people in the 4th District compared to 109,638 in Cass and 370,868 in the 5th District, compared to 77,278 in Cole County.

“This court,” Caine wrote, “finds it is more helpful to engage in an objective review of the 2025 plan rather than be guided by subjective factors like policy preferences and views of current representation.”

Judge rules gerrymandered Missouri congressional map is constitutional 

Griffon Media, the student-led news organization at Missouri Western State University, earned three national honors at the College Media Association Spring Convention held here March 4-7. 

The organization received three David L. Adams Apple Awards, which serve as the flagship honors for recognizing excellence in collegiate media across the country.

The staff of Griffon Media took home second place for Best News Website in Division III. Individual honors included Charlie Sample, who earned third place for Best Multimedia Package in Divisions II and III, and Kylee Leach, a member of the class of 2025, who placed third for Best News Photography in Division III.

Representing the university at the convention were Kiana Martinez, a senior graphic design major from Kansas City, Missouri; Kendall Warren, a sophomore applied communication and journalism major from Kansas City, Missouri; and faculty adviser Dr. Luling Huang. During the event, the group presented an educational session titled “Beyond the Questions: Audio and Video Essentials for Interviews” to fellow student journalists.

In addition to the awards ceremony and presentations, students participated in professional development tours of the Spectrum News and Sirius XM headquarters. The convention provided the team the opportunity to network with industry professionals and peers while showcasing the caliber of journalism produced at Missouri Western.

Griffon Media students earn national awards at NYC Convention

May corn closed up 4 3/4 cents and July corn was up 4 1/4 cents. May soybeans closed down 2 cents and July soybeans were down 2 1/2 cents. May KC wheat closed up 16 1/2 cents, May Chicago wheat was up 15 1/4 cents, May Minneapolis wheat was up 11 cents.

It was another mostly positive session for price action across U.S. row-crop futures, with a surge in wheat helping corn to reverse from early losses to trade higher as well. Soybeans drifted a touch lower but well off their lowest point by the close as buyers remain active and looking for opportunity on dips. Outside markets saw energy prices creep higher yet again, with WTI crude oil higher for the tenth time in the past 11 sessions, closing in on the $100 per barrel mark. The U.S. dollar was higher after the January Personal Consumption Expenditure report showed the highest reading in almost two years, adding more doubt to a near-term rate cut from the Federal Reserve, especially considering January data is well before the energy shock as a result of the conflict in the Middle East. CME's FedWatch tool is currently predicting steady rates until the October FOMC meeting.

The live cattle complex was mildly lower headed into Friday's close as traders are again allowing the complex to find very little technical support. Currently the spot April contract is trading above its 100-day moving average; monitoring that threshold into early next week will be vital as traders may not keep the complex above that price-point as there's not much fundamental support in the market. No new cash cattle trade has developed, but a single bid was on the table at $235 in Kansas. So far this week, Northern dressed business has been done at mostly $372, $8 lower, and Southern live business was done at mostly $235, $4 lower in Texas, and $5 lower in Kansas. It's likely trade volumes will remain light this week as there's expected to be a plant strike starting on Monday at the JBS plant in Greeley, Colorado.

The feeder cattle complex was mixed moving into Friday's closing bell, as traders seem confident allowing the contracts to scale mildly higher even though the market's fundamentals haven't been overly supportive this week. But at the day's end, it wouldn't be surprising to see the market again slip below its 100-day moving average next week as it is expected to face challenges with the potential plant strike in Colorado.

The lean hog complex was again trading lower. Although pork demand may be up slightly, the market doesn't have the technical support it needs. Helping drive the pork cutout values higher is mostly the $9.02 jump in the belly.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2026/03/13142254/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

Commodity markets daily recap

May corn closed up 2 1/4 cents and July corn was up 2 cents. May soybeans closed up 13 1/4 cents and July soybeans were up 12 3/4 cents. May KC wheat closed unchanged, 0 cents, May Chicago wheat was up 3 3/4 cents, May Minneapolis wheat was down 3 1/2 cents.

The soybean market continued to press higher, setting new calendar highs in early trade on Thursday before eventually relaxing off highs through the day trade. Corn futures held to modest gains despite late session pressure while wheat markets were more mixed in nature. Prices were supported by higher energy markets with the war in the Middle East raging on and thus far little indication of an easing to the conflict but held in check by immediate chart resistance to the upside. The U.S. dollar was firm and again testing topside resistance among 2026 highs and closing in on six month highs. Equity markets were sharply lower again as investors are anxious regarding what the sharp rise in energy prices could mean for the greater world economy through 2026.

Following Wednesday's lower close, the live cattle complex was back to trading mildly higher. It's not because of an uptick in fundamental support -- but rather that some light technical support has worked its way into the market and is helping drive the contracts up into Thursday's closing bell. The other supportive factor that might be adding a slight boost to the market was the marketing year high of 25,400 metric tons of beef sold in Thursday morning's export report. A single bid is on the table in Kansas at $235 but otherwise no new cash cattle trade has developed following Wednesday's business.

Meanwhile the feeder cattle complex traded mostly mixed into Thursday's close as it isn't as confident at this time as the live cattle complex. The market continues to hover around its 100-day moving average, which could be a difficult threshold to boldly move past until some of the market's pressure resolves and its fundamentals improve.

Once again the lean hog complex was trailing lower as the market's resistance simply is too much for traders to bear at this point. While pork cutout values may be mildly higher, the market doesn't seem to be seeing that as a wildly supportive gesture as it not only wants to see higher prices but also consistency.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2026/03/12135054/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ monthly “Flash Report” said the sales of all tractors during February in the U.S. were down 12 percent from the same month in 2025. During February, a total of 9,084 tractors were sold, which compares to 11,167 sold during the same month in 2025. For the month, two-wheel drive smaller tractors under 40 horsepower were down 11 percent from last year, while 40-and-under-100-horsepower sales were down nine percent from 2025. 

Sales of two-wheel drive 100-plus-horsepower tractors were down 26 percent, while four-wheel drive tractors were up 11 percent. Combine sales in February totaled 159, down 13 percent from last year. For the year, total tractor sales are down nine percent from 2025. For the year, combine sales totaled 322 through February, which was up 15 percent from last year during the first two months. 

U.S. tractor and combine sales down 12% in February

American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall offered a variety of solutions for increasing the demand for U.S.-grown agricultural goods during testimony before the Senate Ag Committee. He joined several other agricultural leaders to share priorities to address a structural imbalance that threatens both farmers’ livelihoods and food insecurity in the U.S. The solutions offered included authorizing year-round E15, modernizing farm labor programs, and establishing improved programs to enable schools and the military to purchase directly from local farms. 

When it comes to E15, Duvall said it’s a no-brainer. “It’s a win-win-win,” he said. “It’s a win for our consumers, a win for the farmer, and it’s a win for Congress to make sure that you can do that for the consumer and for the farmer at the same time.” Duvall also recently sent a letter to President Trump asking him to intervene to address the disruption of fertilizer shipments from the Middle East. 

Duvall testifies before Senate Ag Committee

May corn closed up 8 cents and July corn was up 8 3/4 cents. May soybeans closed up 12 1/4 cents and July soybeans were up 12 1/4 cents. May KC wheat closed up 4 3/4 cents, May Chicago wheat was up 3 3/4 cents, May Minneapolis wheat was up 3 cents.

After a brief pause to review underlying fundamentals on Tuesday, markets wasted no time building on their recent bullish trends with another buying spree Wednesday. Once again, soybean oil set the tone rebounding after the first consecutive lower closes for most active futures in over a month to post another high close for the move. Expectations EPA will finalize their biofuel blending mandates this month and those mandates will be very friendly to agriculture is the primary bullish influence, despite USDA cutting soybean oil demand in Tuesday's WASDE. Corn and wheat markets joined in on the rally with soybeans paving the way higher. Outside markets were calmer on Wednesday, with crude oil futures higher but setting lower highs for the second straight session as IEA announced a record 400-million-barrel reserve release to stabilize the market amid the trade choke in the Middle East. Equity markets were lower again on unease regarding the oil situation and its potential impact on the world economy.

The live cattle complex traded lower from the open, but with new developments surfacing in the fed cash cattle market, where cattle are trading sharply lower than compared to a week ago, there's a slim chance the market will do anything but continue to scale lower through the week's end. Some light cash cattle trade is currently being noted in the North at $372, which is $8.00 lower than last week's weighted average. And a handful of steers have also been sold in Kansas at $235, which is $5.00 lower than last week's weighted average. Asking prices are noted in the North at $374, but are not established yet in the South.

It's was a "bah humbug"-like day for the cattle complex, but especially for the feeder cattle market as its contracts were trading anywhere from $5.00 to $7.00 lower. The onset of weaker market fundamentals in the cash sector is why the feeder cattle complex is trading significantly lower and is currently even pressuring the market's 100-day moving average in the spot April contract.

The lean hog complex also traded lower as a weaker note has overcome the entire livestock complex. And with midday pork cutout values lower, the market was not able to turn around and trade higher ahead of the day's end, and may see follow through pressure in the coming day or two.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2026/03/11142244/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

The Renewable Fuels Association urged the White House to take immediate action allowing broader use of lower-cost, American-made ethanol in the U.S. fuel supply to help blunt the impact of higher prices for crude oil and gasoline. “Adding larger volumes of low-cost ethanol to gasoline is a proven solution for reducing fuel prices and helping to insulate the U.S. market from global supply shocks,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper in a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.

 “A series of deregulatory actions could rapidly unleash billions of gallons of additional fuel volume, providing relief at the pump for hardworking families.” Cooper also said the Environmental Protection Agency should issue emergency summertime fuel waivers that allow a 1-psi Reid Vapor Pressure (RPV) volatility tolerance for E15 use nationwide, as well as E10 in certain areas that previously opted out of the RVP Waiver Program. 

As fuel prices soar, the time is now for immediate action on E15

The USDA and the Army Corps of Engineers announced a construction contract with Mortenson Construction to build a new sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base in Texas. This facility is a key part of the five-prong strategy by Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins that’s designed to fight New World Screwworm. The plan will expand USDA’s domestic response capacity, bolstering production for U.S. livestock, wildlife, and public health. 

The Army Corps is partnering with USDA and will provide oversight for the contract, design, engineering, and construction of the facility. “The Army Corps is the best in the business, and their engineering expertise and proven track record in delivering complex projects will help ensure that we can build a modern, resilient facility that protects American agriculture from invasive pests for decades to come,” said Rollins. Lt. General William Graham said the Corps of Engineers has helped secure America by engineering solutions to its toughest challenges. 

Plans to fight NWS move forward

May corn closed down 1 1/2 cents and July corn was down 2 1/4 cents. May soybeans closed up 5 1/2 cents and July soybeans were up 6 cents. May KC wheat closed down 11 cents, May Chicago wheat was down 12 1/4 cents, May Minneapolis wheat was down 11 cents.

For at least a few minutes on Tuesday morning, traders took a break from following the geopolitical whirlwind of the past ten days to review fresh crop supply and demand estimates from USDA, with prices showing little to no reaction as USDA left most forecasts unchanged or very close. The theme of the past 24 hours has been an incredible reversal in crude oil, with NYMEX WTI futures back below $85 per barrel after trading just under $120 per barrel late Sunday evening. Comments from President Trump on Monday that the end of the conflict with Iran may be on the horizon increased selling pressure, but on Tuesday Defense Secretary Hegseth signaled more intense bombing campaigns, and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi states negotiations with the U.S. were "off the table." The market is anticipating a coordinated release of G7 country oil reserves to stabilize the market, hence Tuesday's price pressure. Meanwhile, price action in equities has been the opposite, with a reversal off Monday lows and the Dow Jones Industrial Average now attempting to post back-to-back higher sessions for the first time in March.

Following Monday's weaker close, the live cattle complex found some renewed technical support and traded moderately higher into Tuesday's closing bell. Unfortunately, the spot April contract is still trading just below the market's 100-day moving average, which will continue to be an important threshold to monitor as whenever the complex is trading below that price-point a level of bearishness is present throughout the marketplace. Still no cash cattle trade has developed and trade will likely be delayed until Thursday or Friday.

Keeping in alignment with the live cattle complex, the feeder cattle complex also traded moderately higher into Tuesday's close. The spot April feeder cattle contract is currently trading above the market's 100-day moving average -- but could face some technical pressure when the complex comes up against the resistance at the 40-day moving average. Despite the immense pressure the futures complex endured Monday, feeder cattle sales held relatively steady; hopefully the same will be said about sales throughout today.

The lean hog complex traded modestly higher into Tuesday's close and is beginning to rival the market's resistance, which could be problematic for traders later this week if the market's fundamental support isn't as strong as desired. Unfortunately, pork cutout values were down at the day's start, which may not help traders in their desire to continue to see the contracts scale higher.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2026/03/10141745/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

Farmers are facing high input costs, trade uncertainty, and surging grain production. Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins spoke directly about those challenges during the recent Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas, her home state. The Secretary told attendees that between 2020 and 2024, fuel costs increased 33 percent, seed costs were up 19 percent, fertilizer prices rose by 48 percent, labor was up 44 percent, and interest expenses were up 71 percent.

 “We’re seven years out from the last farm bill and all of this information we’re trying to work with is so outdated,” said Jed Bower, president of the National Corn Growers Association, “Our costs are so different that we have to get something done. It’s like they’ve forgotten about rural America.” There were some stern conversations and tension between farm leaders and representatives of major seed, fertilizer, machinery, and chemical companies during the opening day of the Commodity Classic. 

Farmer frustrations voiced at Commodity Classic

A new poll conducted by YouGov on behalf of Rural Voices USA found that 71 percent of farm families across five Midwestern states say they’re more likely to support a Congressional candidate who votes for year-round E15 legislation. The survey included respondents from Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin, and it also found that a majority of all rural voters, at 57 percent, say a candidate’s support of E15 would make them more likely to vote for that candidate.

 “Rural voters see the farm crisis enveloping their communities and are looking for answers from Congress,” said Rural Voices USA Chairman Chris Gibbs. “This survey shows that rural voters and farm families want their members of Congress to go to bat for them on E15 because it ripples across the farm economy.” Gibbs also said that members of Congress would be wise to listen and stop the delays in passing the legislation.

Poll: 71 Percent of farm families back candidates supporting E15

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach launched a statewide public awareness campaign to address the growing fentanyl crisis that is taking a devastating toll on our communities.

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