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

(Radio Iowa) - A move to raise the speed limit to 60 on Iowa highways where the posted speed is 55 has passed another hurdle in the statehouse. 

The bill cleared the Iowa Senate in March of last year and a House subcommittee advanced it this (Wednesday) afternoon. Representative Megan Jones of Spirit Lake says there's a lot of interest among House Republicans in passing a bill to hike the speed limit. The Iowa Department of Public Safety is registered on the legislature's website as undecided on the bill, but a spokeswoman for the agency points to an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety report showing traffic fatalities go up eight percent for ever five-miles-an-hour increase in the speed limit. 

The speed limits on the interstates that run through Iowa were raised to 70 in 2005.

Bill raises speed limit from 55 to 60 on Iowa highways

ATCHISON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 5p.m. Wednesday in Atchison.

Police Chief Mike Wilson reported a 2019 Ford pickup driven by Colten Harris, 15, Atchison, was westbound on Woodlawn Avenue in Atchison.

The teen turned south onto the connecting service road to U.S.59 when a collision occurred with a 2014 GMC SUV driven by Tiffany McKelvey, 43, Atchison, who was eastbound on U.S.73. 

EMS transported&nbsp; Harris to Amberwell Hospital for examination. He was also cited for failure to yield.

Kan. teen hospitalized and cited after pickup, SUV crash

The bill approved Wednesday would restore provisions struck down in January by the Missouri Supreme Court. If passed into law, the measure would allow three attempts at revisions by the secretary of state before the courts take on the job

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>

A&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB3146&amp;year=2026&amp;code=R" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;to protect ballot summaries written by politicians from judicial revision passed the Missouri House on Wednesday, as lawmakers moved to restore a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/01/23/missouri-supreme-court-strikes-down-law-on-ballot-title-cases-special-appeal-power-for-ag/">law struck down</a>&nbsp;earlier this year by the state Supreme Court.

The legislation would give the secretary of state three chances to revise ballot summaries found to be insufficient or unfair before a judge could take over the job. And if the trial court judgment is overturned on appeal, the measure would require the appeals court to send it back to the trial court for revisions rather than make any changes.

State Rep. John Simmons, a Republican from Washington, said revising ballot summaries is a political job and “the courts for recent history have been actually circumventing the will of the General Assembly, the elected people in writing a lot of these statements on their own.”

The House voted 90-55 to approve the legislation, with all Democrats and nine Republicans opposed. It now moves to the Missouri Senate.&nbsp;

The bill is a response to a Jan. 23 decision that struck down a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/04/14/missouri-lawmakers-approve-bill-targeting-pending-abortion-lawsuit/">similar law passed last year.</a>&nbsp;The court ruled that amendments to that bill went beyond its original purpose and violated the Missouri Constitution.

“We all know that’s a temper-tantrum reaction to (the law) being struck down,” state Rep. Martin Jacobs, a Democrat from Liberty, said during Wednesday’s debate. “It’s a kickback at the court, which is not what we should be in the business of doing.”

Every proposed statutory or constitutional change presented to voters includes a summary and estimate of the financial impact on state and local governments. The bill approved Wednesday would expand the limit, currently 50 words, to 100 words.

If backers or opponents of the ballot measure think the summary is unfair because it takes sides or is insufficient because it leaves out key elements, they can sue to have it changed.

Currently, if a court finds problems, the judge rewrites the language. If the bill approved on Wednesday becomes law, after finding a summary needs to be changed, the judge would send it to the secretary of state for revision.

The bill allows the secretary of state three chances, under increasingly tight deadlines, to write a ballot summary the judge will accept. If the revisions fail to satisfy the judge, he or she would then write a new summary.

The ballot summary provisions are a reaction to past rulings, especially in the lead-up to the 2024 vote making abortion legal again in the state. So far in this election cycle, the courts have rewritten ballot summaries for an initiative to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/01/30/missouri-appeals-court-rejects-secretary-of-states-ballot-language-on-private-school-funding-ban/">ban vouchers</a>&nbsp;for private school tuition, a constitutional amendment to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-revises-ballot-language-for-plan-to-make-it-harder-to-amend-missouri-constitution/">make abortion illegal</a>&nbsp;and another to change how majorities are calculated for constitutional amendments&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-revises-ballot-language-for-plan-to-make-it-harder-to-amend-missouri-constitution/">proposed by initiative</a>.

The provisions putting ballot summary revisions in the hands of the secretary of state are intended to delay initiatives and protect “ballot candy” in summaries of measures sent to voters by the GOP majority, Democrats said Wednesday.

Republicans argued that the courts are biased and ballot summaries need to be protected from meddling.

“There is nowhere in the Constitution, there is nowhere in (state statutes),” state Rep. Darin Chappell, a Republican from Rogersville said, “wherein the courts have the authority to override and usurp the power of the legislature to establish their own wording.”

Missouri House passes bill limiting judges’ power to rewrite ballot summaries

HARRISON COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 3:30a.m. Wednesday in Harrison County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Freightliner semi driven by a 25-year-old Chicago Ridge, Illinois man was southbound on Interstate 35 six miles south of Bethany. The vehicle traveled off the west side of the road, struck an embankment and overturned.

North Missouri EMS transported the driver to Liberty Hospital. The Patrol did not have seat belt usage details. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Driver hospitalized after semi overturns

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">Anna Spoerre</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

The Missouri Senate unanimously approved&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills261/hlrbillspdf/5478H.02P.pdf" target="_blank">legislation</a>&nbsp;Tuesday clarifying that pregnant women can get divorced, making it the first non-budget bill to be sent to Gov. Mike Kehoe this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The bill, filed by state Reps. Cecelie Williams, a Republican from Dittmer, and Raychel Proudie, a Democrat from Ferguson, also received&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/02/12/missouri-house-again-approves-bill-clarifying-divorce-rules-during-pregnancy/">unanimous approval in the House</a>&nbsp;last month.&nbsp;

Williams, a domestic violence survivor,<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/03/24/missouri-bill-removes-barriers-pregnancy-divorce/">&nbsp;first shared her harrowing story of being denied the finalization of a divorce while pregnant&nbsp;</a>when she presented identical legislation last year.&nbsp;

“The number one cause of death in pregnant women is homicide,” Williams told the Senate Families, Seniors and Health Committee on Monday. “And it’s from partner violence. If we could prevent that by allowing women to leave when they want, we absolutely shouldn’t be creating barriers in situations like that.”

<a href="https://www.marchofdimes.org/find-support/topics/pregnancy/abuse-during-pregnancy" target="_blank">One in six women who experience abuse</a>&nbsp;are first harmed during pregnancy, according to estimates by the March of Dimes.&nbsp;Homicide is the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the&nbsp;<a href="https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/homicide-leading-cause-of-death-for-pregnant-women-in-u-s/" target="_blank">United States</a>&nbsp;and among the leading causes in&nbsp;<a href="https://mopqc.org/news/finding-answers-saving-lives-highlights-from-missouris-2025-pamr-annual-report/" target="_blank">Missouri</a>.&nbsp;

While nothing prevents Missourians from filing for divorce while a party is pregnant, the current statute is interpreted by many courts as preventing the final dissolution of marriage from being issued until after the child is born, so that a custody agreement for that child can first be put into place.&nbsp;

The same bill died at the eleventh hour last session after it was returned to the House with an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/BTS_web/amendments/1034H02.01S.pdf" target="_blank">amendment</a>&nbsp;proposed by state Sen. Mike Moon, an Ash Grove Republican, that would have required the total alimony amount received be reduced by the amount collected in social security.

Williams on Monday reiterated her belief that the bill will prevent some abortions.&nbsp;

“Where in anything that we stand for as Missourians would we ever allow a woman to have to make that decision,” she said, “to save herself and to sacrifice her child.”

Bill clarifying women’s right to divorce while pregnant heads to Missouri governor

(Radio Iowa) - The Iowa House has passed a bill to bar women and children in Iowa who are in the country illegally from receiving federal food assistance from the Women, Infants and Children program. 

Representative Austin Harris, a Republican from Moulton, says that's the policy for food stamps and Medicaid -- only U-S citizens and legal residents are eligible. WIC provides nutritious food to pregnant and breastfeeding women, their babies and children until they reach their 5th birthday and citizenship is not currently required for enrollment. 

Representative Angel Ramirez, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, says hunger does not check citizenship papers and the bill is a political point that puts starving babies on the losing side. Under the bill, children under the age of five who were born in the U.S. or who have legal status could receive WIC benefits, but if their mother is an illegal alien, she would not.

Iowa bill requires WIC recipients to be U.S. citizens or legal residents

DAVIESS COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 6:30p.m. Tuesday in Daviess County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Ford F150 driven by a 59-year-old Gallatin man was northbound on Clay Street at Grand Street in Gallatin. The driver failed to yield to a westbound 2010 Toyota Corolla driven by a 79-year-old Gallatin woman.&nbsp; The Toyota struck the front passenger side of the pickup.

Daviess County EMS transported the 79-year-old driver to Cameron Regional Medical Center. The pickup driver was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri woman injured after 2-vehicle crash

MERCER COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before noon Tuesday in Mercer County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2018 Chevy Impala driven by an 84-year-old Chariton, Iowa, man was stopped eastbound on Decal Street at Route P eight miles west of Mercer.&nbsp; The driver failed to yield to a southbound 2013 Chevy 2500 driven by a 48-year-old Cainsville man. The pickup struck the car in the driver's side. 

The Chevy driver was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Roberson Funeral Home. Mercer County ambulance transported the pickup driver to Wayne County Hospital. Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Driver killed after pickup, car crash on NW Missouri highway

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.

Just before 11:30a.m. March 8,&nbsp;a Brown County Deputy responded toa call of a reckless driver complaint involving a white sedan on U,.S. 36 Highway, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

A traffic stop was initiated near Goldfinch.&nbsp; Upon completion of the interdiction with the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, the deputy arrested 61-year-old Daniel Schaefer of Kansas City, Missouri, on requestd charges of DUI and Transport Open Container.

Missouri man accused of DUI, transporting an open container

(Radio Iowa) - The fundraising leaders in Iowa's race for governor have filed the paperwork to qualify for the June primary ballots. 

Candidates for governor are required to submit at least 35-hundred signatures from eligible Iowa voters on petitions -- and have at least 100 signatures from 19 of Iowa's 99 counties. Democrat Rob Sand says the 24-thousand signatures his campaign submitted is a record -- and one-fifth of them came from independents and Republicans. Sand describes it as a 99 county operation to show that no matter where you live in Iowa, you've got neighbors who signed to help get his name on the ballot. 

Republican Randy Feenstra says people from all 99 counties signed his nominating petitions and he submitted over 75-hundred signatures, more than double the number necessary. Feenstra is likely to face four other Republicans in the June 2nd G-O-P Primary. Candidates have until 5 p.m. this Friday to submit nominationg petitions for the primary.

Two of the candidates for Iowa governor file for 2026 primary ballot

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>

Commodity markets daily recap

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

May corn closed down 6 3/4 cents and July corn was down 5 1/2 cents. May soybeans closed down 4 1/2 cents and July soybeans were down 4 cents. May KC wheat closed down 3 3/4 cents, May Chicago wheat was down 13 1/2 cents, May Minneapolis wheat was up 3 cents.

As was wildly expected, crude oil (and related energy markets) jumped drastically again on the Sunday open, with oil hitting the highest level seen since the first half of 2022 following the initial Russian invasion of Ukraine. Prices eventually eased on profit-taking, falling back below $100 per barrel, accelerated on reports that G7 nations will discuss a coordinated release of oil reserves to ease the supply shock caused by the trade halt in the Persian Gulf. Row crops fell from highs along with the energy sector, with overbought technical conditions likely playing a role in encouraging profit-taking and hedging as well. Equity markets were lower again but off their daily lows, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average on pace for the first monthly loss since last April, barring a mid-March turnaround. The U.S. dollar was firm but will face a major technical test near 100 on the index, which has held since early 2025.

It's almost as if the live cattle complex thinks cattlemen and traders alike would grow weary if the market simply traded in a lackadaisical mundane fashion as opposed to the rollercoaster ride it turns into at times. Which perfectly describes the market's $3.00 to $4.00 decline Monday, as news broke late last week that union workers will indeed strike at the JBS packing plant in Greeley, Colorado. The strike is expected to happen the week of March 16, and JBS intends to shift production to other facilities during that time. This causes great anxiousness for the cattle complex as the market is already seeing minimal throughput from packers as they try to manage their margins to the best of their ability. It also raises the question: How is this going to affect beef consumers? Unfortunately, a level of uneasiness will likely reside within the market until this ordeal is played out; expect continued volatility until then. New showlists appear to be mixed, higher in Texas, but lower in Kansas and Nebraska/Colorado.

As expected, the feeder cattle complex has noted the decline in the live cattle market and consequently elected to send its contracts tumbling $4.00 to $5.00 lower into Monday's close. Until the live cattle complex settles down and trade in a more stable manner, the feeder cattle contracts will likely continue to scale lower.

Not even the lean hog complex could trade higher Monday, as its market is also seeing a slight regression into the closing bell. For the lean hog complex the market's resistance seems to be inflicting pressure more than anything else.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2026/03/09140148/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

A Missouri state court has granted preliminary approval to a proposed $7.3 billion settlement aimed at resolving thousands of lawsuits alleging that Bayer’s Roundup herbicide caused cancer. Reports show the order from the Missouri Circuit Court in St. Louis allows the company to begin notifying potential claimants nationwide and sets a July 9 fairness hearing to determine whether the settlement will receive final approval. As part of the preliminary ruling, Bayer must deposit $500 million into the settlement fund within 10 business days. 

The proposed settlement, announced in February, is intended to compensate current and future plaintiffs who claim Roundup exposure caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The agreement also establishes a long-term program for handling future claims. Attorneys representing plaintiffs said the ruling is an important step toward compensation for victims after years of litigation. Bayer officials said the settlement is part of a broader strategy to resolve ongoing legal challenges tied to the herbicide. The settlement process will now move through a notice period before the court decides whether to grant final approval later this year.

Roundup settlement receives preliminary court approval 

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jacob-fischler/">Jacob Fischler</a>

Passengers at a handful of airports this week waited in hours-long security lines as the government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security dragged on.

Though Transportation Security Administration officers are required by law to work during a lapse in funding, more than usual have been absent after receiving only a partial paycheck during the most recent pay period. TSA officers will miss an entire paycheck this weekend if the shutdown is still in effect then.&nbsp;

No end to the shutdown appeared imminent Wednesday, as the U.S. Senate rejected a bill that would have funded TSA and other agencies in DHS that are not related to immigration enforcement.

In the meantime, TSA officers are not being paid.&nbsp;

Most live paycheck-to-paycheck, said Johnny Jones, the secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 100, which represents TSA agents.

The lack of pay has contributed to absenteeism, Jones added. The union does not condone coordinated “sick-outs,” which are illegal.&nbsp;

But individual officers miss work for one of three reasons during a shutdown, he said: pre-planned time off, legitimate illness or personal emergencies, and those calling in sick but seeking other work to pay bills.

“If you’re normally receiving a paycheck, you wouldn’t have that third group,” he said.

Some of those who are working are going without lunch or making other sacrifices, Jones added. And he said two colleagues were evicted during the most recent shutdown last fall, which lasted for 43 days.

The U.S. war against Iran, which has an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trumps-iran-war-estimated-cost-billions-already-no-end-sight" target="_blank">estimated price</a>&nbsp;in the billions of dollars in just its first two weeks, has also driven resentment among TSA workers, Jones said.

“One of the things that I’ve heard from the colleagues is that, man, we got plenty of money to go fight wars and bomb Iran, but we can’t pay our own employees,” he said.

No exceptionally long wait times were reported Wednesday, but the previous few days saw several examples of snarled security lines.

Security lines&nbsp;<a href="http://houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/trending/article/government-shutdown-hobby-airport-21963811.php" target="_blank">topped three hours</a>&nbsp;at Houston’s William P. Hobby International Airport on Monday and Tuesday.&nbsp;

Lines at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport were up to two hours Monday and the airport’s social media drew a direct line to the shutdown.

“Due to impacts from the federal government’s partial shutdown, there continues to be a shortage of TSA workers at the security checkpoint … which is causing longer-than-average lines,” the airport’s X account&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/flyneworleans/status/2030952799811355119?s=20" target="_blank">posted</a>.

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport also urged passengers to leave extra time to account for factors including “TSA staffing constraints.”

CBS News&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tsa-absences-double-shutdown-300-quit-airport-security-lines/" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;Wednesday that more than 300 TSA agents have left their jobs since the shutdown began. TSA officials did not respond to messages seeking confirmation of that figure.

The top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, Washington’s Patty Murray, sought unanimous consent Wednesday for the Senate to approve a bill that would fund all of DHS other than Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and the secretary’s office.

Sen. Katie Britt, an Alabama Republican who chairs the subcommittee on Homeland Security funding, objected.

Murray’s bill “would effectively defund our law enforcement officers that are charged with keeping Americans safe,” Britt said.

Each party blamed the other for the impasse, which has been unbreachable since the department’s funding lapsed Feb. 14.

Following the January fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by immigration officers in Minneapolis, Democrats are demanding changes to immigration agencies’ conduct as a condition of funding the department.

Republicans have said they are willing to negotiate the issue, but the parties disagree on what to do for the department, which also includes the Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in the meantime.

Republican leaders sought to pass a short-term continuing resolution to fund the entire department, but Democrats rejected it, saying it would allow the operation of immigration agencies without adding accountability measures.

“Right now, TSA agents are going without pay because Republicans and the White House have decided they would rather shut down all of DHS than pass some very basic reforms to rein in ICE and Border Patrol,” Murray said. “We also want TSA and FEMA funded, but we are not going to be blackmailed into cutting a blank check for ICE to get it done.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, of South Dakota, said Democrats have stopped negotiating on DHS funding in a bid to keep the issue alive for the November midterm elections.&nbsp;

“The American people are tired,” he said. “Lines get longer at the airports because TSA isn’t funded. The American people want us to do our jobs. Republicans are at the table. We’re ready to work toward a solution. Democrats have walked away.”

Jones, the AFGE member and TSA officer, declined to say which approach to short-term funding was preferable, but said it was Congress’ job to fund the federal government.

“We all swear the same oath to the same Constitution,” he said. “Now my job function is a little different than theirs, so they need to do theirs so I can do mine.”

Long security lines pop up at airports as TSA officers go without pay

Two Missouri men are facing felony charges following separate child pornography investigations conducted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control (DDCC). 

The arrests, announced Wednesday, were the result of probes launched earlier this year by the patrol's Special Victims Unit after receiving tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Investigators first contacted John F. McCallum, 46, of Farmington, on March 9. Authorities said evidence of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) was discovered during the interaction, leading to McCallum's arrest. He was formally charged Tuesday with one count each of promoting child pornography and possession of child pornography. He is being held in the St. Francois County Jail on a $100,000 bond.

In a separate case, investigators interviewed William E. Watson, 47, of Park Hills, on March 10. Following a consent search of an electronic device and a subsequent search of his residence, authorities reportedly located both CSAM and illicit narcotics. Watson was charged Wednesday with promoting child pornography, possession of child pornography, possession of a controlled substance, and failing to register as a sex offender. He remains in custody on a $500,000 bond.

The DDCC was assisted in the investigations by the Farmington Police Department, the State Technical Assistance Team, and the Missouri Digital Forensic Center.

Two Missouri men arrested on child sex crime charges following state investigations

The legislation has once again been bundled with a more controversial bill that would reduce how long people have to file personal injury, uninsured motorist claims

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 on Wednesday voted to advance a bill that would extend the statute of limitations for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file civil action.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/bill.aspx?bill=HB1664&amp;year=2026&amp;code=R" target="_blank">bill</a>, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Brian Seitz of Branson, would also decrease the statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits and civil claims against insurance companies for uninsured or underinsured motorists.

Survivors of childhood sexual abuse currently have only 10 years after they turn 21 to file suit, which advocates argue isn’t enough time because it can take decades for people to understand that they were abused. Seitz’s bill would give them until they turn 41.&nbsp;

With no change in those limits since 2004 and “powerful lobbies that used to oppose this bill now in support,” Seitz said, “we will do what we can at this time.”&nbsp;

“The perfect fix,” he said, “is no statute of limitations for victims of sexual abuse.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

The House passed the bill 95-12, with 39 lawmakers voting present. It now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Seitz’s legislation last year extending the childhood sexual abuse statute of limitations was added as an amendment to a bill reducing the window for filing personal injury lawsuits, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Matthew Overcast of Ava.&nbsp;A spokesperson for the Missouri Insurance Coalition&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/06/16/missouri-republican-says-special-interests-killed-bill-aiding-child-sex-abuse-survivors/">told The Independent</a>&nbsp;at the time that the amendment was added to assuage concerns about unintentional effects of the tort reform bill on the childhood statute of limitations.

This year, Seitz introduced the legislation as a&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills261/hlrbillspdf/4713H.01I.pdf" target="_blank">stand-alone bill</a>, and tort reform elements similar to Overcast’s 2025 bill were&nbsp;<a href="https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills261/hlrbillspdf/4713H.02C.pdf" target="_blank">added</a>&nbsp;in the House Commerce Committee.&nbsp;

Seitz’s bill would not change the current five-year statute of limitations for survivors to take civil action against institutions that facilitated their abuse, such as summer camps or boarding schools.

Missouri is one of 18 states that sets the statute of limitations under 35, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://childusa.org/2025-sol-tracker/" target="_blank">Child USA</a>, and dozens of states have passed reforms on the statute of limitations for survivors in recent years.

A Senate committee passed a separate bill last month, sponsored by Republican state Sen. Brad Hudson of Cape Fair, that would&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-weighs-ending-statute-of-limitations-for-childhood-sexual-abuse/">eliminate the statute of limitations</a>&nbsp;for childhood sexual abuse survivors. It has not yet come up for debate in the full Senate.&nbsp;

This is the fourth year in a row that an effort by Seitz to extend the statute of limitations for childhood sexual assault has advanced. The bill was&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/18/bill-inspired-by-sexual-abuse-allegations-at-kanakuk-kamps-dies-in-missouri-legislature/">partly inspired</a>&nbsp;by survivors of abuse at the Christian sports camp Kanakuk Kamps near Branson.

In the previous three years, these efforts have fallen victim to concerns from insurance lobbyists that it would expose them to older claims that are costly and difficult to defend against.

Seitz described the bill as the culmination of “years of bipartisan work.”

During House debate this week, Republican state Rep. Bryant Wolfin of Ste. Genevieve asked why the tort provisions were added.

“It seems like we might have log-rolled this issue onto your bill, which was fantastic, to potentially try to get something that might be a little more controversial along the line,” Wolfin said.

Democratic state Rep. Will Jobe of Independence said that victims in personal injury cases often have to wait for criminal charges against defendants to be resolved before filing civil actions.&nbsp;

Since the statute of limitations for most felonies is three years, Jobe said, victims could be left with little or no time to seek redress.

“We’re attaching this wonderful and absolutely needed bill to something that is really going to hurt people,” Jobe said.

Before Wednesday’s vote, Seitz said the rights of survivors of childhood sexual abuse “always was and remains the primary portion” of the bill.

In addition to abolishing the statute of limitations for survivors, the Senate bill sponsored by Hudson would add language that survivors can sue institutions that played a role in their abuse “at any time.”

“By assigning an arbitrary statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse, we are siding with abusers and perpetrators over survivors and making Missouri a sanctuary state for pedophiles,” Hudson said during a committee hearing last month.&nbsp;

Kayla Onder, a St. Louis-based attorney who leads her firm’s sexual abuse department, told The Independent that most survivors don’t come forward until decades after their abuse — often because they didn’t realize that they had been abused.

“Usually you have a client that was diagnosed with something, they’re receiving those mental health treatments, and they start to realize, ‘What I’m experiencing now isn’t just a random break in my mental health,’” Onder said. “It’s layered from the abuse I experienced as a child.”

Onder said the legislation lawmakers are considering will help strengthen survivors’ voice and help them find closure.

“When you’re sexually assaulted, especially as a child, you might not have a physical injury that you can see then and there at that moment,” she said. “But it doesn’t mean that an injury did not occur.”

Bill extending statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse heads to Missouri Senate

The Salina Police Department reported to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) that 75-year-old Yvonne Pereirra-Mcwhorter has been located safe in WaKeeney, according to a statement from the KBI.

SALINE COUNTY –&nbsp;The Salina Police Department requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Salina woman.

The whereabouts of 75-year-old Yvonne Pereirra-Mcwhorter, of Salina, are unknown and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate her, according to a media release from the KBI.

Pereirra-Mcwhorter is likely driving a blue 2025 Nissan Pathfinder bearing Texas tag 6YGPZ. She was last spotted north of Norton, Kan., on Thursday morning, March 12.

Pereirra-Mcwhorter is a female who is around 5 foot 4 inches tall and weighs approximately 185 pounds. She has brown hair, brown eyes, and is known to wear a medical ID bracelet. She is wearing a splint on her right hand.

If you see Yvonne Pereirra-Mcwhorter, or her vehicle, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about her whereabouts, please call the Salina Police Department at (785) 826-7210.

 Silver Alert canceled, missing Kansas woman found

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating animal cruelty in Northeast Kansas have identified a suspect.

Tips from members of the community helped Bonner Springs Police and Animal Control Officers ID the suspect, according to a media release on Wednesday.&nbsp;The suspect, whose name has not been released, is facing animal abandonment charges.

On March 6, Bonner Springs Animal Control shared photos of a plastic storage tote left near the animal care center at 104 Forest Ave. The tote had been taped shut and left outside during a storm. Inside the tote was a puppy who required immediate medical attention.

In addition to the puppy in the tote, two additional puppies were surrendered to animal control officers. All three animals are now receiving veterinary evaluation and care.

  This pup appears to have a rectal prolapse which will be addressed ASAP by our veterinary partner.If you have any information, please call 913-422-7800 extension 1579 (please leave a message), or 913-596-3000

Police ID Kan. suspect accused of abandoning puppy in storage tote

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as 21-year-old&nbsp;Richaud Conley.

Just before 6p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a shooting in the area of 55th and Chestnut Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

When officers arrived, they located Conley lying in a grassy area, unresponsive, and suffering from gunshot trauma. He was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries. Officers on scene were updated later Conley was pronounced deceased at the hospital.

Detectives continue working to determine what led up to the shooting. Police have not reported an arrest and did not release the name of the victim.

&nbsp;This incident is being investigated as a homicide at this time and is ongoing.&nbsp;

If anyone was in the area and heard or saw anything or has any information they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.

Police: Latest Kansas City homicide victim was 21-year-old

&nbsp;JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. – Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.

On March 8, Teddy Lynn Moore, 58, of Topeka, was arrested on a warrant issued by the Jackson County District Court for multiple felony charges involving a minor, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

 The charges include two counts of rape of a child under 14 years of age and two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy with a child under 14 years of age.&nbsp;

The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office that began in July of 2025.  Moore was taken into custody by the United States Marshal’s Service and is being held in the Jackson County Jail with bond set at $1,000,000.00.&nbsp;

U.S. Marshals jail Kansas man for alleged child sex crimes

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on drug allegations.

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