The Kansas City Chiefs held their longest training camp practice today at Missouri Western State University in temperatures that felt upwards of 110 degrees with the heat index.  

Transitioning to a new position in camp is offensive lineman Kingsley  Suamataia, moving from left tackle to a position he's played just once left guard.  

Head Coach Andy Reid says now that players have had pads on for a few days now, he's seen good things from Suamataia 

“He’s done a nice job. He really battled in there, (he) looks solid. (I) really like what we see,” Reid tells reporters following practice 

Suamataia says while the move is going well, it's still a learning process, with things moving much faster at the guard position 

"It’s all just taking my mind from out here to in here and working it from in there and getting the work from Trey (Smith) and the inside guys,” Suamataia says.  “So, it’s been good.” 

Things did get chippy today in the heat with rookies Josh Simmons and Ashton Gillotte going at each other.     

With a packed running back room, Kansas City Chiefs seventh round pick Brashard Smith is trying to find whatever way he can to make the team and make an impact 

Smith spent his career at SMU as a pass catching back, which he could do with the Chiefs, but he has to work his way past Elijah Mitchell and Kareem Hunt first. Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub also likes Smith's potential as a punt and kick returner.  

For Smith, who didn't spend much time on special teams in college, he says he likes the possibility of being a returner.  

"I love the ball in my hands, and I feel like I can make explosive plays,” Smith says.  “So, I’d love to play punt return, kick return, it doesn’t matter just to help the team win I’ll do whatever for sure.” 

Practice at Chiefs Training Camp went just about two hours today.  The Chiefs will have one more practice tomorrow at 9:15 before an off day on Thursday. 

The heat at camp brought a slew of injuries with some leaving practice. Reid reported that linebacker Jeffrey Bassa was out with an ankle sprain. Tight end Jake Briningstool was out with a hamstring injury as was safety Deon Bush. Cornerback Kristian Fulton remains on the PUP list with a knee injury, and cornerback Darius Rush was out with a hamstring injury, 

Cornerback Eric Scott also had a hamstring injury. Wide receiver Xavier Worthy had a rough fall during practice and left for the medical tent, but did return to practice, however fellow wide receivers Hollywood Brown and Skyy Moore left practice in a cart, Moore with a hamstring injury and Brown with an ankle injury. Linebacker Cooper McDonald was out of practice with an illness. 

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753827674364.jpeg" alt="Kingsley Suamataia walks down the hill alongside offensive guard Trey Smith/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Kingsley Suamataia walks down the hill alongside offensive guard Trey Smith/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEThe Kansas City Chiefs held their longest training camp practice today at Missouri Western State University in temperatures that felt upwards of 110 degrees with the heat index. Transitioning to a new position in camp is offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia, moving from left tackle to a position he's played just once left guard. Head Coach Andy Reid says now that players have had pads on for a few days now, he's seen good things from Suamataia “He’s done a nice job. He really battled in there, (he) looks solid. (I) really like what we see,” Reid tells reporters following practice Suamataia says while the move is going well, it's still a learning process, with things moving much faster at the guard position "It’s all just taking my mind from out here to in here and working it from in there and getting the work from Trey (Smith) and the inside guys,” Suamataia says. “So, it’s been good.” Things did get chippy today in the heat with rookies Josh Simmons and Ashton Gillotte going at each other. With a packed running back room, Kansas City Chiefs seventh round pick Brashard Smith is trying to find whatever way he can to make the team and make an impact Smith spent his career at SMU as a pass catching back, which he could do with the Chiefs, but he has to work his way past Elijah Mitchell and Kareem Hunt first. Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub also likes Smith's potential as a punt and kick returner. For Smith, who didn't spend much time on special teams in college, he says he likes the possibility of being a returner. "I love the ball in my hands, and I feel like I can make explosive plays,” Smith says. “So, I’d love to play punt return, kick return, it doesn’t matter just to help the team win I’ll do whatever for sure.” Practice at Chiefs Training Camp went just about two hours today. The Chiefs will have one more practice tomorrow at 9:15 before an off day on Thursday. The heat at camp brought a slew of injuries with some leaving practice. Reid reported that linebacker Jeffrey Bassa was out with an ankle sprain. Tight end Jake Briningstool was out with a hamstring injury as was safety Deon Bush. Cornerback Kristian Fulton remains on the PUP list with a knee injury, and cornerback Darius Rush was out with a hamstring injury, Cornerback Eric Scott also had a hamstring injury. Wide receiver Xavier Worthy had a rough fall during practice and left for the medical tent, but did return to practice, however fellow wide receivers Hollywood Brown and Skyy Moore left practice in a cart, Moore with a hamstring injury and Brown with an ankle injury. Linebacker Cooper McDonald was out of practice with an illness. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753827733978.jpeg" alt="Bailey Zappe hands the ball off to Brashard Smith/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Bailey Zappe hands the ball off to Brashard Smith/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Suamataia settling into new position as Chiefs tackle practice on hot day

Maryville has
gotten a $4 million boost from the state.

The Missouri
Department of Natural Resources has awarded a $4.1 million loan to the city of
Maryville to plan and design its drinking water improvement project. The money
will finance early engineering and administrative costs while the city and the DNR
work to secure a larger financial package for its drinking water project.

The Maryville
water upgrade is expected to cost of total of $48 million. The city hopes to
begin construction next year.

The DNR loan is
designed to help in the early phase of the project. It comes with no interest.

“MoDNR provides
crucial financing and technical assistance to help communities build public
infrastructure that protects public health and the environment,” DNR Director, Kurt
Schaefer, said in a written statement released by DNR. “Investing in the
wellbeing of Missouri’s infrastructure is also a catalyst to economic growth
and prosperity.”

The Drinking Water
State Revolving Fund finances improvements to water treatment plants,
distribution systems, water storage and supply facilities, and for
interconnection or consolidation projects, according to DNR.

By BRENT MARTINMaryville PostMaryville has
gotten a $4 million boost from the state.The Missouri
Department of Natural Resources has awarded a $4.1 million loan to the city of
Maryville to plan and design its drinking water improvement project. The money
will finance early engineering and administrative costs while the city and the DNR
work to secure a larger financial package for its drinking water project.The Maryville
water upgrade is expected to cost of total of $48 million. The city hopes to
begin construction next year.The DNR loan is
designed to help in the early phase of the project. It comes with no interest.“MoDNR provides
crucial financing and technical assistance to help communities build public
infrastructure that protects public health and the environment,” DNR Director, Kurt
Schaefer, said in a written statement released by DNR. “Investing in the
wellbeing of Missouri’s infrastructure is also a catalyst to economic growth
and prosperity.”The Drinking Water
State Revolving Fund finances improvements to water treatment plants,
distribution systems, water storage and supply facilities, and for
interconnection or consolidation projects, according to DNR.

Maryville receives $4M state loan for water project

Missouri has a long history of struggling to process MO HealthNet applications in a timely manner. As states prepare for new federal work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP, advocates worry about what the workload will mean for people receiving benefits in Missouri

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/megcunningham/">Meg Cunningham</a>&nbsp;

Kevin Wehner has been there for Missourians as they have dealt with unanswered questions, long wait times and the confusion as they enrolled for government insurance.

He was there as the Affordable Care Act marketplace came online, and as Missouri slowly expanded its Medicaid program, known as MO HealthNet.

He’s witnessed Missouri struggling for years to process benefits applications in a timely manner.

Now,&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/07/11/medicaid-mo-healthnet-kancare-changes-2025/" target="_blank">under President Donald Trump’s new budget plan</a>, Americans aged 19 to 64 who are enrolled in Medicaid will be required to show proof of 80 hours of work, school, caregiving or volunteering a month to be eligible for coverage.

Wehner worries about what new Medicaid work requirements might mean for the people he assists on a day-to-day basis.

“It’s going to directly affect the Medicaid expansion (group),” said Wehner, a benefits enrollment counselor at Missouri Connections for Health in Columbia. “I think tangentially, it will affect the other populations, just because of the amount of resources that will be needed to see if these people are putting in 80 hours.”

For years, Missouri has struggled to process social services applications in a timely manner, drawing the ire of advocates and the courts. Federal regulations require states to process Medicaid applications based on income in 45 days, but Missouri has&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/22/missouri-medicaid-application-delays-exceed-federal-limits-for-third-straight-month/">repeatedly violated the time frame requirements</a>.

Wehner anticipates more confusion with the new rules, which are slated to begin in December 2026, after the midterm elections.

<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/politifact-healthcheck-fact-check-scott-jennings-medicaid-work-requirements/" target="_blank">Research</a>&nbsp;in states that have put work requirements in place confirms that suspicion. Enrollees found it difficult to fulfill the requirements and submit the proper documentation, leading to people losing coverage.

“I imagine I’m going to get a lot of people asking for help,” Wehner said. “You get your yellow letter in the mail. It’s several pages. Even when I’m working with people, I get a highlighter and I go through and find, ‘OK, here’s what we need to do.’ It’s not really obvious what you need to do.”

New estimates from KFF found that the Trump administration’s budget package would reduce federal Medicaid spending by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/allocating-cbos-estimates-of-federal-medicaid-spending-reductions-across-the-states-enacted-reconciliation-package/" target="_blank">$911 billion over the next 10 years</a>&nbsp;and increase the number of uninsured Americans by 10 million. The largest portion of savings would come from work requirements on the Affordable Care Act expansion group – totaling about $326 billion saved over the next decade.

In Missouri, that would amount to an estimated 130,000 people losing access to Medicaid as their form of health insurance.

How the state may shift to handle increased eligibility checks&nbsp;

For years, Missouri has looked to update its technology to better handle the administrative burden as advocates demanded solutions to the delays across Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications.

“It really is going to be a new system to implement,” said Lucas Caldwell-McMillan, the chief of policy at Empower Missouri, an anti-poverty advocacy group. “Right now we’ve got a pretty outdated system that is struggling. I think the frontline agency staff are working their hardest to implement it now, but they’re falling short.”

Under the new framework for Medicaid, states will need to process proof of the 80 hours of work, school, caregiving or volunteering, and will need to check eligibility for enrollment twice a year, rather than the current standard of once annually.

“These are six-month eligibility checks, so essentially doubling the work there,” said Caldwell-McMillan. “Both on the participant, but also the agency. And instituting these work requirements in Medicaid will require a whole new system to verify information that’s never been verified by the Medicaid agency before.”

According to Timothy McBride, a health economist and professor at the Washington University School of Public Health, states and enrollees have struggled to keep track of the documentation required to track whether people are working.

“The recipient has to actually interact with the program and make sure they get the paperwork filled out and submitted and it doesn’t get lost,” McBride said. “And that’s where it has broken down in states like Missouri, and where this has caused problems in our past.”

The increased burden for the state could come at a high cost, with not much savings. Research shows that both in Missouri and at the national level,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/5-key-facts-about-medicaid-work-requirements/" target="_blank">about 90% of adults</a>&nbsp;on Medicaid already have a job or would be considered exempt from work requirements.

States like Arkansas and Georgia have looked to put work requirements in place for years, but both have struggled.

Arkansas briefly put 20-hour per week work requirements in place from 2018 to 2019 for childless adults aged 30 to 49. After a federal court blocked the requirements, Arkansas stopped the program.

But in the brief time those requirements were in place, about 18,000 enrollees in the state lost their coverage. The state spent more than $26 million in administrative costs on eligibility checks and to put the program in place.

<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7497731/" target="_blank">A study</a>&nbsp;found that half of those in Arkansas who had lost Medicaid as part of the requirements reported serious problems paying off medical debt, while 56% delayed some form of medical care due to the cost and 64% delayed medication due to the cost.

The study also found that the work requirements did little to increase the number of enrollees who were employed. More than 95% of those in the work requirement group were either already working or qualified for an exemption. There did not appear to be any significant upticks in employment as a result of the requirements.

<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/understanding-the-intersection-of-medicaid-and-work-an-update/" target="_blank">In 2023,</a>&nbsp;44% of the adults 19-64 enrolled in Medicaid were working full time, while 20% were working part time. Another 12% didn’t work due to caregiving, while 10% didn’t work due to illness and 7% didn’t work because they were enrolled in school, leaving only 8% not working due to another reason.

In an interview with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2025-07-24/missouri-medicaid-director-todd-richardson-requirements-seamless-enrollees" target="_blank">St. Louis Public Radio</a>, Todd Richardson, the director of Missouri’s Medicaid program, said the state would look into using an online portal to streamline the process for enrollees.

“Our goal is to make sure that people who are eligible and entitled to be on the program have the easiest path to get access to those benefits, while at the same time ensuring that those who are not eligible for the program are not on the program,” he told the outlet.

“If they’re working and we can verify that they’re working through income data, then that’s a verification right there,” Richardson added. “Now, there are other exceptions to the work requirements that probably will require a participant to send some documentation or to involve a human. But I think there’s a lot of that income verification that can be done electronically.”

Reduction of federal support for the program and the ways that states can fund Medicaid will leave Missouri lawmakers with a&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/07/14/missouri-governor-budget-cuts-kansas-city/" target="_blank">tricky budget situation</a>&nbsp;in the years to come. Because the state’s expansion came through a voter-approved constitutional amendment, lawmakers won’t be able to easily undo the expansion, and the state is on the hook to pay for the full cost of the program.

States may turn to other programs to find ways to recoup the costs.

Missouri offers benefits through Medicaid beyond what is required by the federal government. Things like dental coverage, some mental health coverage, long-term care or Missouri’s recent expansion of Medicaid for postpartum women could be targets for cuts.

“I imagine they’re pretty nervous about this,” McBride said. “Frankly, those of us who just want the state to function are nervous for them because we want them to be able to do this. It’s really potentially catastrophic for the state.”

Otherwise, McBride said, programs like education, roads or prison funding would be likely places for the state to turn.

“The other options are to cut spending elsewhere,” McBride said. “They would cut Medicaid in places where they can cut Medicaid, and I’m pretty sure the state would have to cut from all of the above.”

How could work requirements look in rural Missouri?&nbsp;

New work requirements pose hurdles in rural parts of the state that urban areas may not face. Completing the necessary paperwork with unreliable internet or technology access could add another layer of difficulty.

Things like access to transportation, or a job with enough hours, could set Missourians back from obtaining coverage, said Caldwell-McMillan.

“It’s finding a job, and finding a job that is going to give you enough hours all of the time when they’re checking eligibility requirements,” Caldwell-McMillan said. “Retail workers, cashiers, cooks, those shifts can change. All of those folks are very much at risk — although they’re working — of not exactly meeting the hourly requirements and at risk of losing coverage.”

Navigators like Wehner will have to consider ways to help people report their work or caregiving when they may not have much access to technology.

“A lot of people I work with live out in rural areas. They may not even have a smartphone and definitely not internet access,” Wehner said. “So just to report things online is going to be really burdensome.”

Other trickle-down impacts could also hit rural Missouri the hardest. Rural hospitals, for example, rely heavily on Medicaid reimbursements to keep their doors open. Most&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/a-closer-look-at-the-50-billion-rural-health-fund-in-the-new-reconciliation-law/?utm_campaign=KFF-Medicaid&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--27paKCYlJEiAcVd9I52rdx8tOb2rJWYbIOiclkFMsYdG1ueFy_iwhfaouA4C0I6eBdmMHi8wZMbuk7OzDbAW3JSj6bg&amp;_hsmi=371627437&amp;utm_content=371627437&amp;utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">recent data</a>&nbsp;show 44% of rural hospitals have negative margins.

The budget package includes $50 billion for a rural hospital fund, which is equal to about one-third of the estimated loss of federal Medicaid funding in rural communities. The budget provides $10 billion a year for five years for the fund, but health economists and Medicaid experts say the federal spending will be finished before many of the losses to Medicaid funding are fully realized.

Coupled with cuts to SNAP, the potential loss of a hospital in a rural area could be damaging to local economies, Caldwell-McMillan said.

“Many of those counties are the folks who are facing perhaps a closure of a clinic or the closure of the closest hospital because of cuts to Medicaid,” Caldwell-McMillan said. “So it really is a perfect storm of folks — working families — who need the support, and then two big sources of support are going to be taken away.”

“There’s going to be really tough choices and really tough consequences.”

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/07/25/missouri-work-requirements-medicaid-mo-healthnet/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Missouri</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753817239739.png" alt=" Federal regulations require states to process Medicaid applications based on income in 45 days, but Missouri has repeatedly violated the time frame requirements (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Federal regulations require states to process Medicaid applications based on income in 45 days, but Missouri has repeatedly violated the time frame requirements (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Missouri has a long history of struggling to process MO HealthNet applications in a timely manner. As states prepare for new federal work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP, advocates worry about what the workload will mean for people receiving benefits in Missouri</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/megcunningham/">Meg Cunningham</a>&nbsp;Kevin Wehner has been there for Missourians as they have dealt with unanswered questions, long wait times and the confusion as they enrolled for government insurance.He was there as the Affordable Care Act marketplace came online, and as Missouri slowly expanded its Medicaid program, known as MO HealthNet.He’s witnessed Missouri struggling for years to process benefits applications in a timely manner.Now,&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/07/11/medicaid-mo-healthnet-kancare-changes-2025/" target="_blank">under President Donald Trump’s new budget plan</a>, Americans aged 19 to 64 who are enrolled in Medicaid will be required to show proof of 80 hours of work, school, caregiving or volunteering a month to be eligible for coverage.Wehner worries about what new Medicaid work requirements might mean for the people he assists on a day-to-day basis.“It’s going to directly affect the Medicaid expansion (group),” said Wehner, a benefits enrollment counselor at Missouri Connections for Health in Columbia. “I think tangentially, it will affect the other populations, just because of the amount of resources that will be needed to see if these people are putting in 80 hours.”For years, Missouri has struggled to process social services applications in a timely manner, drawing the ire of advocates and the courts. Federal regulations require states to process Medicaid applications based on income in 45 days, but Missouri has&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/22/missouri-medicaid-application-delays-exceed-federal-limits-for-third-straight-month/">repeatedly violated the time frame requirements</a>.Wehner anticipates more confusion with the new rules, which are slated to begin in December 2026, after the midterm elections.<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/politifact-healthcheck-fact-check-scott-jennings-medicaid-work-requirements/" target="_blank">Research</a>&nbsp;in states that have put work requirements in place confirms that suspicion. Enrollees found it difficult to fulfill the requirements and submit the proper documentation, leading to people losing coverage.“I imagine I’m going to get a lot of people asking for help,” Wehner said. “You get your yellow letter in the mail. It’s several pages. Even when I’m working with people, I get a highlighter and I go through and find, ‘OK, here’s what we need to do.’ It’s not really obvious what you need to do.”New estimates from KFF found that the Trump administration’s budget package would reduce federal Medicaid spending by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/allocating-cbos-estimates-of-federal-medicaid-spending-reductions-across-the-states-enacted-reconciliation-package/" target="_blank">$911 billion over the next 10 years</a>&nbsp;and increase the number of uninsured Americans by 10 million. The largest portion of savings would come from work requirements on the Affordable Care Act expansion group – totaling about $326 billion saved over the next decade.In Missouri, that would amount to an estimated 130,000 people losing access to Medicaid as their form of health insurance.<h2>How the state may shift to handle increased eligibility checks&nbsp;</h2>For years, Missouri has looked to update its technology to better handle the administrative burden as advocates demanded solutions to the delays across Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications.“It really is going to be a new system to implement,” said Lucas Caldwell-McMillan, the chief of policy at Empower Missouri, an anti-poverty advocacy group. “Right now we’ve got a pretty outdated system that is struggling. I think the frontline agency staff are working their hardest to implement it now, but they’re falling short.”Under the new framework for Medicaid, states will need to process proof of the 80 hours of work, school, caregiving or volunteering, and will need to check eligibility for enrollment twice a year, rather than the current standard of once annually.“These are six-month eligibility checks, so essentially doubling the work there,” said Caldwell-McMillan. “Both on the participant, but also the agency. And instituting these work requirements in Medicaid will require a whole new system to verify information that’s never been verified by the Medicaid agency before.”According to Timothy McBride, a health economist and professor at the Washington University School of Public Health, states and enrollees have struggled to keep track of the documentation required to track whether people are working.“The recipient has to actually interact with the program and make sure they get the paperwork filled out and submitted and it doesn’t get lost,” McBride said. “And that’s where it has broken down in states like Missouri, and where this has caused problems in our past.”The increased burden for the state could come at a high cost, with not much savings. Research shows that both in Missouri and at the national level,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/5-key-facts-about-medicaid-work-requirements/" target="_blank">about 90% of adults</a>&nbsp;on Medicaid already have a job or would be considered exempt from work requirements.States like Arkansas and Georgia have looked to put work requirements in place for years, but both have struggled.Arkansas briefly put 20-hour per week work requirements in place from 2018 to 2019 for childless adults aged 30 to 49. After a federal court blocked the requirements, Arkansas stopped the program.But in the brief time those requirements were in place, about 18,000 enrollees in the state lost their coverage. The state spent more than $26 million in administrative costs on eligibility checks and to put the program in place.<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7497731/" target="_blank">A study</a>&nbsp;found that half of those in Arkansas who had lost Medicaid as part of the requirements reported serious problems paying off medical debt, while 56% delayed some form of medical care due to the cost and 64% delayed medication due to the cost.The study also found that the work requirements did little to increase the number of enrollees who were employed. More than 95% of those in the work requirement group were either already working or qualified for an exemption. There did not appear to be any significant upticks in employment as a result of the requirements.<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/understanding-the-intersection-of-medicaid-and-work-an-update/" target="_blank">In 2023,</a>&nbsp;44% of the adults 19-64 enrolled in Medicaid were working full time, while 20% were working part time. Another 12% didn’t work due to caregiving, while 10% didn’t work due to illness and 7% didn’t work because they were enrolled in school, leaving only 8% not working due to another reason.In an interview with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2025-07-24/missouri-medicaid-director-todd-richardson-requirements-seamless-enrollees" target="_blank">St. Louis Public Radio</a>, Todd Richardson, the director of Missouri’s Medicaid program, said the state would look into using an online portal to streamline the process for enrollees.“Our goal is to make sure that people who are eligible and entitled to be on the program have the easiest path to get access to those benefits, while at the same time ensuring that those who are not eligible for the program are not on the program,” he told the outlet.“If they’re working and we can verify that they’re working through income data, then that’s a verification right there,” Richardson added. “Now, there are other exceptions to the work requirements that probably will require a participant to send some documentation or to involve a human. But I think there’s a lot of that income verification that can be done electronically.”Reduction of federal support for the program and the ways that states can fund Medicaid will leave Missouri lawmakers with a&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/07/14/missouri-governor-budget-cuts-kansas-city/" target="_blank">tricky budget situation</a>&nbsp;in the years to come. Because the state’s expansion came through a voter-approved constitutional amendment, lawmakers won’t be able to easily undo the expansion, and the state is on the hook to pay for the full cost of the program.States may turn to other programs to find ways to recoup the costs.Missouri offers benefits through Medicaid beyond what is required by the federal government. Things like dental coverage, some mental health coverage, long-term care or Missouri’s recent expansion of Medicaid for postpartum women could be targets for cuts.“I imagine they’re pretty nervous about this,” McBride said. “Frankly, those of us who just want the state to function are nervous for them because we want them to be able to do this. It’s really potentially catastrophic for the state.”Otherwise, McBride said, programs like education, roads or prison funding would be likely places for the state to turn.“The other options are to cut spending elsewhere,” McBride said. “They would cut Medicaid in places where they can cut Medicaid, and I’m pretty sure the state would have to cut from all of the above.”<h2>How could work requirements look in rural Missouri?&nbsp;</h2>New work requirements pose hurdles in rural parts of the state that urban areas may not face. Completing the necessary paperwork with unreliable internet or technology access could add another layer of difficulty.Things like access to transportation, or a job with enough hours, could set Missourians back from obtaining coverage, said Caldwell-McMillan.“It’s finding a job, and finding a job that is going to give you enough hours all of the time when they’re checking eligibility requirements,” Caldwell-McMillan said. “Retail workers, cashiers, cooks, those shifts can change. All of those folks are very much at risk — although they’re working — of not exactly meeting the hourly requirements and at risk of losing coverage.”Navigators like Wehner will have to consider ways to help people report their work or caregiving when they may not have much access to technology.“A lot of people I work with live out in rural areas. They may not even have a smartphone and definitely not internet access,” Wehner said. “So just to report things online is going to be really burdensome.”Other trickle-down impacts could also hit rural Missouri the hardest. Rural hospitals, for example, rely heavily on Medicaid reimbursements to keep their doors open. Most&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/a-closer-look-at-the-50-billion-rural-health-fund-in-the-new-reconciliation-law/?utm_campaign=KFF-Medicaid&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--27paKCYlJEiAcVd9I52rdx8tOb2rJWYbIOiclkFMsYdG1ueFy_iwhfaouA4C0I6eBdmMHi8wZMbuk7OzDbAW3JSj6bg&amp;_hsmi=371627437&amp;utm_content=371627437&amp;utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">recent data</a>&nbsp;show 44% of rural hospitals have negative margins.The budget package includes $50 billion for a rural hospital fund, which is equal to about one-third of the estimated loss of federal Medicaid funding in rural communities. The budget provides $10 billion a year for five years for the fund, but health economists and Medicaid experts say the federal spending will be finished before many of the losses to Medicaid funding are fully realized.Coupled with cuts to SNAP, the potential loss of a hospital in a rural area could be damaging to local economies, Caldwell-McMillan said.“Many of those counties are the folks who are facing perhaps a closure of a clinic or the closure of the closest hospital because of cuts to Medicaid,” Caldwell-McMillan said. “So it really is a perfect storm of folks — working families — who need the support, and then two big sources of support are going to be taken away.”“There’s going to be really tough choices and really tough consequences.”This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/07/25/missouri-work-requirements-medicaid-mo-healthnet/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Missouri</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

Looming Medicaid work requirements could worsen Missouri backlogs in social services

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/sauravrahman/">Saurav Rahman</a>

By limiting large-scale water exports from the state, experts and farmers said Missouri has taken forward-thinking measures to protect one of its most vital resources. According to them, it will benefit agriculture, industry and municipal services in the coming years.

Governor Mike Kehoe&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=193" target="_blank">signed new legislation into law</a>&nbsp;on July 14 that limits large-scale water exports from Missouri. The law, which takes effect Aug. 28, requires a permit for water exports and restricts withdrawals for export to within 30 miles of the state border. It also mandates annual reporting of water usage to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

David Borrok, dean of the College of Engineering and Computing at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, said that a number of other states in the U.S have been taking similar measures as demand for water grows.

“Missouri is a water-rich state, and I’d say, arguably, water is our most valuable resource as a state,” Borrok said. “It’s the engine that sort of underpins all economic development and things in the state.”

Missouri is home to more than&nbsp;<a href="https://dnr.mo.gov/water/hows-water/state/interstate#:~:text=The%20Missouri%20River%20is%20a,transecting%20several%20major%20metropolitan%20areas." target="_blank">110,000 miles of rivers and streams</a>. Each year, rainfall creates more than&nbsp;<a href="https://dnr.mo.gov/document-search/missouri-water-resources-plan-update-2020-executive-summary" target="_blank">15 trillion gallons of runoff</a>&nbsp;that flows into these rivers, lakes and streams. About 38 trillion gallons come into the state through the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. It is&nbsp;<a href="https://dnr.mo.gov/water/hows-water/monitoring-data/levels/groundwater#:~:text=More%20than%2080%25%20of%20Missouri's,resulting%20in%20water%2Dlevel%20decline." target="_blank">estimated that the state</a>&nbsp;has about 500 trillion gallons of usable-quality groundwater.

Daniel Downing, a water quality specialist with the University of Missouri Extension, believes the motivation behind this legislation is the preservation of Missouri’s abundant water supplies.

“On the state borders, especially the western border, there may be parties harvesting or considering harvesting water from Missouri and pumping it into Oklahoma and/or Kansas, where they have restrictive water allotments,” Downing said in an email.

Missouri has very few, if any, restrictions on the quantity of water one can harvest in compliance with Missouri’s Riparian Rights water law, Downing said.

“Missouri water law allows the use of reasonable amounts of water as long as it does not deprive others of what they need,” Downing said. “In the Western states, water quantity and use are regulated under allotment and/or appropriation systems that tightly control how much water they can access.”

The Ogallala Aquifer is a very important underground water source for many states, like Kansas, Nebraska and others. However, it does not extend into Missouri. Increased populations, development and droughts have created more demand for water in these states, Downing said.

<a href="https://kgs.ku.edu/sites/kgs/files/files/TechSeriespdfs/TS25.pdf" target="_blank">Research shows that</a>, due to pumping water for irrigation, the aquifer is now dangerously close to running dry. To mitigate that,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2025-01-28/could-an-aqueduct-bring-water-to-western-kansas-or-is-it-a-pipedream" target="_blank">there was a plan proposed</a>&nbsp;to move water from the Missouri River in eastern Kansas, near Kansas City, to help refill the Ogallala Aquifer in western Kansas.

“The use and apparent gradual depletion of the aquifer has been a topic of research and discussion for many years, resulting in limitations on the use of water from it,” Downing said. “These circumstances, as well as other influences and restrictions, make it inviting to look across the state line and covet the abundance of water we have.”

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2172/" target="_blank">signed a bill in July</a>&nbsp;establishing a water conservation task force to tackle the state’s water issues. The task force will identify water-related risks, determine what constitutes a sustainable water supply and explore funding options for future water projects. Additionally, a Water Planning Work Group will work to update and modernize the State Water Resources Planning Act.

According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://dnr.mo.gov/document-search/missouri-water-resources-plan-update-2020-executive-summary" target="_blank">Missouri Water Resources Plan</a>, updated in 2020, the state’s residents and businesses use an average of 3.2 billion total gallons of water each day. Of that total, 78% comes from groundwater sources, while the remaining 22% is supplied by surface water.

Borrok emphasized that water security is essential for the state’s long-term economic growth.

“All the manufacturing that we might want to attract to the state,” Borrok said. “All data centers, all these sorts of things use massive, massive amounts of water, and no major company will move to a state that doesn’t have the water resources necessary to expand.”

Agricultural irrigation accounts for the largest share of the state’s consumptive water withdrawals at 65%. Major water systems contribute another 25%, while all other sectors combined make up the remaining 10% of annual withdrawals.

Tom Waters is a seventh-generation farmer from Orrick, Missouri and also serves as a consultant at the Missouri Water Center. He and his family raise corn, soybeans and wheat.

Although Waters doesn’t do any irrigation on the land he farms, he said that in southeast Missouri, particularly in the Bootheel area, the practice is quite common.

“Keeping that water to irrigate Missouri crops is important versus sending it to other states,” Waters said. “The difference between an irrigated crop and a non-irrigated crop always depends on the weather and drought conditions and those sorts of things. But, traditionally, the irrigation more than pays for itself.”

David Waller, board president and national director at the Missouri Rural Water Association, said every drop Missouri exports outside the state is lost.

“So a municipality that might need water within the state, if it was being exported in large quantities outside the state, they might not have water for their usage,” Waller said. “I don’t know that is happening anywhere, but that is one possibility.”

Waller said the Department of Natural Resources didn’t previously have a way of tracking water that was being transported outside the state, nor a way of regulating it.

“This at least gives the department the authority to monitor and make those decisions so that they know what’s going on,” Waller said.

In northern Missouri, the groundwater is very salty, so a lot of their water comes from surface water. Borrok said those municipalities need to keep their water for drinking purposes.

“It’s the same way as agriculture, you just want it not to overdraft your bank of water,” Borrok said. “Recreation-wise, that’s a huge one too. There’s gotta be massive amounts of tourism dollars coming in from Lake of the Ozarks, Table Rock Lake and the Scenic Riverways here and if you start taking water and pumping it somewhere else, you could potentially, over time, negatively impact some of those resources.”

Missouri’s statewide consumptive water demand is expected to rise by 18%, or by approximately 583 million gallons per day, by 2060, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://dnr.mo.gov/document-search/missouri-water-resources-plan-update-2020-executive-summary" target="_blank">Missouri Water Resources Plan</a>.

While the law does restrict exports, Borrok said it doesn’t completely close the door to out-of-state water sharing. Now, exporting water would have to go through a permit process, evaluating potential financial benefits or losses.

“A small farmer could possibly export a little bit of water through a canal to another place, and maybe we don’t know about that,” Borrok said. “But the real impact that it’s trying to avoid is a massive export of water, like hundreds of millions of gallons a month, or three million gallons a day or some massive amount and that would be noticed in terms of the monitoring.”

This story originally appeared in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.missouribusinessalert.com/" target="_blank">Missouri&nbsp;Business&nbsp;Alert</a>, a digital newsroom covering&nbsp;business&nbsp;and the economy in&nbsp;Missouri.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753784043233.png" alt=" The Mississippi River in Hannibal (Courtesy of Rebecca Smith)." />
 <figcaption> The Mississippi River in Hannibal (Courtesy of Rebecca Smith).</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/sauravrahman/">Saurav Rahman</a>By limiting large-scale water exports from the state, experts and farmers said Missouri has taken forward-thinking measures to protect one of its most vital resources. According to them, it will benefit agriculture, industry and municipal services in the coming years.Governor Mike Kehoe&nbsp;<a href="https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&amp;BillID=193" target="_blank">signed new legislation into law</a>&nbsp;on July 14 that limits large-scale water exports from Missouri. The law, which takes effect Aug. 28, requires a permit for water exports and restricts withdrawals for export to within 30 miles of the state border. It also mandates annual reporting of water usage to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.David Borrok, dean of the College of Engineering and Computing at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, said that a number of other states in the U.S have been taking similar measures as demand for water grows.“Missouri is a water-rich state, and I’d say, arguably, water is our most valuable resource as a state,” Borrok said. “It’s the engine that sort of underpins all economic development and things in the state.”Missouri is home to more than&nbsp;<a href="https://dnr.mo.gov/water/hows-water/state/interstate#:~:text=The%20Missouri%20River%20is%20a,transecting%20several%20major%20metropolitan%20areas." target="_blank">110,000 miles of rivers and streams</a>. Each year, rainfall creates more than&nbsp;<a href="https://dnr.mo.gov/document-search/missouri-water-resources-plan-update-2020-executive-summary" target="_blank">15 trillion gallons of runoff</a>&nbsp;that flows into these rivers, lakes and streams. About 38 trillion gallons come into the state through the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. It is&nbsp;<a href="https://dnr.mo.gov/water/hows-water/monitoring-data/levels/groundwater#:~:text=More%20than%2080%25%20of%20Missouri's,resulting%20in%20water%2Dlevel%20decline." target="_blank">estimated that the state</a>&nbsp;has about 500 trillion gallons of usable-quality groundwater.Daniel Downing, a water quality specialist with the University of Missouri Extension, believes the motivation behind this legislation is the preservation of Missouri’s abundant water supplies.“On the state borders, especially the western border, there may be parties harvesting or considering harvesting water from Missouri and pumping it into Oklahoma and/or Kansas, where they have restrictive water allotments,” Downing said in an email.Missouri has very few, if any, restrictions on the quantity of water one can harvest in compliance with Missouri’s Riparian Rights water law, Downing said.“Missouri water law allows the use of reasonable amounts of water as long as it does not deprive others of what they need,” Downing said. “In the Western states, water quantity and use are regulated under allotment and/or appropriation systems that tightly control how much water they can access.”The Ogallala Aquifer is a very important underground water source for many states, like Kansas, Nebraska and others. However, it does not extend into Missouri. Increased populations, development and droughts have created more demand for water in these states, Downing said.<a href="https://kgs.ku.edu/sites/kgs/files/files/TechSeriespdfs/TS25.pdf" target="_blank">Research shows that</a>, due to pumping water for irrigation, the aquifer is now dangerously close to running dry. To mitigate that,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2025-01-28/could-an-aqueduct-bring-water-to-western-kansas-or-is-it-a-pipedream" target="_blank">there was a plan proposed</a>&nbsp;to move water from the Missouri River in eastern Kansas, near Kansas City, to help refill the Ogallala Aquifer in western Kansas.“The use and apparent gradual depletion of the aquifer has been a topic of research and discussion for many years, resulting in limitations on the use of water from it,” Downing said. “These circumstances, as well as other influences and restrictions, make it inviting to look across the state line and covet the abundance of water we have.”Kansas Governor Laura Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2172/" target="_blank">signed a bill in July</a>&nbsp;establishing a water conservation task force to tackle the state’s water issues. The task force will identify water-related risks, determine what constitutes a sustainable water supply and explore funding options for future water projects. Additionally, a Water Planning Work Group will work to update and modernize the State Water Resources Planning Act.According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://dnr.mo.gov/document-search/missouri-water-resources-plan-update-2020-executive-summary" target="_blank">Missouri Water Resources Plan</a>, updated in 2020, the state’s residents and businesses use an average of 3.2 billion total gallons of water each day. Of that total, 78% comes from groundwater sources, while the remaining 22% is supplied by surface water.Borrok emphasized that water security is essential for the state’s long-term economic growth.“All the manufacturing that we might want to attract to the state,” Borrok said. “All data centers, all these sorts of things use massive, massive amounts of water, and no major company will move to a state that doesn’t have the water resources necessary to expand.”Agricultural irrigation accounts for the largest share of the state’s consumptive water withdrawals at 65%. Major water systems contribute another 25%, while all other sectors combined make up the remaining 10% of annual withdrawals.Tom Waters is a seventh-generation farmer from Orrick, Missouri and also serves as a consultant at the Missouri Water Center. He and his family raise corn, soybeans and wheat.Although Waters doesn’t do any irrigation on the land he farms, he said that in southeast Missouri, particularly in the Bootheel area, the practice is quite common.“Keeping that water to irrigate Missouri crops is important versus sending it to other states,” Waters said. “The difference between an irrigated crop and a non-irrigated crop always depends on the weather and drought conditions and those sorts of things. But, traditionally, the irrigation more than pays for itself.”David Waller, board president and national director at the Missouri Rural Water Association, said every drop Missouri exports outside the state is lost.“So a municipality that might need water within the state, if it was being exported in large quantities outside the state, they might not have water for their usage,” Waller said. “I don’t know that is happening anywhere, but that is one possibility.”Waller said the Department of Natural Resources didn’t previously have a way of tracking water that was being transported outside the state, nor a way of regulating it.“This at least gives the department the authority to monitor and make those decisions so that they know what’s going on,” Waller said.In northern Missouri, the groundwater is very salty, so a lot of their water comes from surface water. Borrok said those municipalities need to keep their water for drinking purposes.“It’s the same way as agriculture, you just want it not to overdraft your bank of water,” Borrok said. “Recreation-wise, that’s a huge one too. There’s gotta be massive amounts of tourism dollars coming in from Lake of the Ozarks, Table Rock Lake and the Scenic Riverways here and if you start taking water and pumping it somewhere else, you could potentially, over time, negatively impact some of those resources.”Missouri’s statewide consumptive water demand is expected to rise by 18%, or by approximately 583 million gallons per day, by 2060, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://dnr.mo.gov/document-search/missouri-water-resources-plan-update-2020-executive-summary" target="_blank">Missouri Water Resources Plan</a>.While the law does restrict exports, Borrok said it doesn’t completely close the door to out-of-state water sharing. Now, exporting water would have to go through a permit process, evaluating potential financial benefits or losses.“A small farmer could possibly export a little bit of water through a canal to another place, and maybe we don’t know about that,” Borrok said. “But the real impact that it’s trying to avoid is a massive export of water, like hundreds of millions of gallons a month, or three million gallons a day or some massive amount and that would be noticed in terms of the monitoring.”This story originally appeared in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.missouribusinessalert.com/" target="_blank">Missouri&nbsp;Business&nbsp;Alert</a>, a digital newsroom covering&nbsp;business&nbsp;and the economy in&nbsp;Missouri.

‘Water is our most valuable resource’: New law will limit water exports from Missouri

State law says the Missouri State Board of Education should have a teacher in an advisory position, but the governor has yet to appoint someone to that spot

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 State Board of Education has an empty seat, chronically vacant since lawmakers created a position for a teacher to advise the board seven years ago.

Like the other board members, the spot is appointed by the governor. But former Gov. Mike Parson, who took office shortly before the seat was created, never chose someone for the position. And thus far, Gov. Mike Kehoe hasn’t either.

“We would like to see an active classroom teacher be on the state board to provide that perspective of someone who’s in the classroom now and say what the immediate needs of educators and students are in the classroom,” Mark Jones, communications director for the Missouri branch of the National Education Association, told The Independent.

The State Board of Education,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/14/missouri-state-board-of-education-members-debate-limited-yet-influential-role/">at its board retreat</a>&nbsp;in July, discussed the vacancy during a discussion of the board’s legal responsibilities.

“This position still hasn’t been appointed, and I don’t know if there are any plans to do that at this point,” Sarah Madden, general counsel for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, told the board.

Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge, a board member from Pasadena Hills, questioned why the seat was empty.

“I would hope there’s a sense of urgency,” she said.

Madden responded that she didn’t have an answer for why the position has never been filled.&nbsp;

Despite the position being largely unpaid apart from expense reimbursement and lacking voting authority, teachers have been willing to step up.

“Those teachers that are there every day in the classroom, they have that firsthand knowledge, so they’re able to share that with the board,” said Matthew Michelson, director of education policy at Missouri State Teachers Association. “A lot of them would want to do that, and they would want to be able to explain how decisions impact classroom teachers or how it impacts the profession.”

Jones said he knows two former Missouri Teacher of the Year awardees who have inquired about becoming the teacher member but never got tapped to join the board.

<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=161.026&amp;bid=35247" target="_blank">State law</a>&nbsp;requires that they must be an “active classroom teacher” with at least five years of experience. The requirement to be an active teacher is important, Michelson told The Independent, because the state of education moves quickly.

“Even if you took a teacher from 2019 pre-COVID and you put them on the state board, I don’t know that they would have the same perspective as someone who was in the classroom last year,” he said. “Things have just evolved so quickly, so having someone that is currently in the classroom and that is dealing with the issues of today is really important.”

The other board members are barred from having direct ties to the classroom, with&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=161.032&amp;bid=7841" target="_blank">statute</a>&nbsp;restricting them from being “connected, either as an official or as an employee, with any public, private, or denominational school, college or university.”

The idea for a teacher representative came over a decade ago, Michelson said, with a member of the teacher’s association pitching it. Then-state Rep. Becky Ruth, a Republican from Festus and a past president of the teachers association, took the idea to the state legislature in 2015.

Her&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HJR30&amp;year=2015&amp;code=R" target="_blank">original bill</a>&nbsp;asked for voters to weigh in on requiring three members of the eight-member board to be educators. By 2018, the&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1373&amp;year=2018&amp;code=R" target="_blank">legislation</a>&nbsp;evolved to propose adding a teacher as a non-voting member, and it passed as part of an&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/bill.aspx?bill=HB1606&amp;year=2018&amp;code=R" target="_blank">omnibus education bill</a>.

“Ultimately it ended up being more of an advisory position because, frankly, that is what the legislature was more inclined to get something passed with,” Michelson said.

At the time, he never would have imagined that the seat would sit empty for years.

Board vacancies are not rare in Missouri. According to&nbsp;<a href="https://boards.mo.gov/userpages/boardsearch.aspx" target="_blank">a state website dedicated to boards and commissions</a>, there are over 1,000 positions left vacant or filled with a member serving on an expired term.

Some boards and commissions, like&nbsp;<a href="https://boards.mo.gov/userpages/Board.aspx?495" target="_blank">the Citizen’s Land Development Cooperative Commission</a>, are completely vacant. But the State Board of Education rarely has its voting-member positions unfilled.

“It just depends on what the priorities of the governor are and what other boards and commissions he needs to fill,” Jones said. “But I think seven years is a long time to go without a direct teacher voice to the board.”

The governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753698266752.png" alt=" Gov. Mike Kehoe talks with the State Board of Education meeting during its December meeting before officially taking office in January (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Gov. Mike Kehoe talks with the State Board of Education meeting during its December meeting before officially taking office in January (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>State law says the Missouri State Board of Education should have a teacher in an advisory position, but the governor has yet to appoint someone to that spot</h2>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 State Board of Education has an empty seat, chronically vacant since lawmakers created a position for a teacher to advise the board seven years ago.Like the other board members, the spot is appointed by the governor. But former Gov. Mike Parson, who took office shortly before the seat was created, never chose someone for the position. And thus far, Gov. Mike Kehoe hasn’t either.“We would like to see an active classroom teacher be on the state board to provide that perspective of someone who’s in the classroom now and say what the immediate needs of educators and students are in the classroom,” Mark Jones, communications director for the Missouri branch of the National Education Association, told The Independent.The State Board of Education,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/14/missouri-state-board-of-education-members-debate-limited-yet-influential-role/">at its board retreat</a>&nbsp;in July, discussed the vacancy during a discussion of the board’s legal responsibilities.“This position still hasn’t been appointed, and I don’t know if there are any plans to do that at this point,” Sarah Madden, general counsel for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, told the board.Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge, a board member from Pasadena Hills, questioned why the seat was empty.“I would hope there’s a sense of urgency,” she said.Madden responded that she didn’t have an answer for why the position has never been filled.&nbsp;Despite the position being largely unpaid apart from expense reimbursement and lacking voting authority, teachers have been willing to step up.“Those teachers that are there every day in the classroom, they have that firsthand knowledge, so they’re able to share that with the board,” said Matthew Michelson, director of education policy at Missouri State Teachers Association. “A lot of them would want to do that, and they would want to be able to explain how decisions impact classroom teachers or how it impacts the profession.”Jones said he knows two former Missouri Teacher of the Year awardees who have inquired about becoming the teacher member but never got tapped to join the board.<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=161.026&amp;bid=35247" target="_blank">State law</a>&nbsp;requires that they must be an “active classroom teacher” with at least five years of experience. The requirement to be an active teacher is important, Michelson told The Independent, because the state of education moves quickly.“Even if you took a teacher from 2019 pre-COVID and you put them on the state board, I don’t know that they would have the same perspective as someone who was in the classroom last year,” he said. “Things have just evolved so quickly, so having someone that is currently in the classroom and that is dealing with the issues of today is really important.”The other board members are barred from having direct ties to the classroom, with&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=161.032&amp;bid=7841" target="_blank">statute</a>&nbsp;restricting them from being “connected, either as an official or as an employee, with any public, private, or denominational school, college or university.”The idea for a teacher representative came over a decade ago, Michelson said, with a member of the teacher’s association pitching it. Then-state Rep. Becky Ruth, a Republican from Festus and a past president of the teachers association, took the idea to the state legislature in 2015.Her&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HJR30&amp;year=2015&amp;code=R" target="_blank">original bill</a>&nbsp;asked for voters to weigh in on requiring three members of the eight-member board to be educators. By 2018, the&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1373&amp;year=2018&amp;code=R" target="_blank">legislation</a>&nbsp;evolved to propose adding a teacher as a non-voting member, and it passed as part of an&nbsp;<a href="https://house.mo.gov/bill.aspx?bill=HB1606&amp;year=2018&amp;code=R" target="_blank">omnibus education bill</a>.“Ultimately it ended up being more of an advisory position because, frankly, that is what the legislature was more inclined to get something passed with,” Michelson said.At the time, he never would have imagined that the seat would sit empty for years.Board vacancies are not rare in Missouri. According to&nbsp;<a href="https://boards.mo.gov/userpages/boardsearch.aspx" target="_blank">a state website dedicated to boards and commissions</a>, there are over 1,000 positions left vacant or filled with a member serving on an expired term.Some boards and commissions, like&nbsp;<a href="https://boards.mo.gov/userpages/Board.aspx?495" target="_blank">the Citizen’s Land Development Cooperative Commission</a>, are completely vacant. But the State Board of Education rarely has its voting-member positions unfilled.“It just depends on what the priorities of the governor are and what other boards and commissions he needs to fill,” Jones said. “But I think seven years is a long time to go without a direct teacher voice to the board.”The governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Lawmakers created a teacher seat on Missouri’s education board. It’s been vacant for 7 years

CLINTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 2:30a.m. Sunday in Clinton County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a Yamaha 4-wheeler driven by a 26-year-old Cameron man was northbound on Highway A just north of MO 116. The vehicle had a mechanical malfunction. It overturned and the driver was ejected.

Tri-County ambulance transported the driver to Liberty Hospital. He was not wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

CLINTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 2:30a.m. Sunday in Clinton County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a Yamaha 4-wheeler driven by a 26-year-old Cameron man was northbound on Highway A just north of MO 116. The vehicle had a mechanical malfunction. It overturned and the driver was ejected.Tri-County ambulance transported the driver to Liberty Hospital. He was not wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.&nbsp;

Mo. man hospitalized after ejected from 4-wheeler

DAVIESS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Saturday in Daviess County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Harley Davidson driven by 45-year-old Lexington woman was northbound on Highway Y at Hamilton Street in Winston.

The vehicle hit a patch of loose gravel and overturned. Daviess County EMS transported the woman to Cameron Regional Medical Center. She was not wearing a. helmet, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

DAVIESS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Saturday in Daviess County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Harley Davidson driven by 45-year-old Lexington woman was northbound on Highway Y at Hamilton Street in Winston.The vehicle hit a patch of loose gravel and overturned. Daviess County EMS transported the woman to Cameron Regional Medical Center. She was not wearing a. helmet, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Mo. woman injured in motorcycle accident

There are only two teams in Major League Baseball who have won double digit World Series, the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals, with the next closest being the Boston Red Sox with nine.&nbsp; And now one collegiate summer league team can claim they are in a pretty exclusive club of teams to win double digit championships.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The St. Joseph Mustangs hoisted their 10th MINK League Championship on Saturday, after beating the Clarinda A's 13-0 at Phil Welch Stadium in a seven inning run rule victory, bringing home back to back championships for the fourth time in the history of the team.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Manager Johnny Coy says it was a special year, with the team losing just eight games, and says it means everything to win a championship

"Every single year we strive for a championship, and we've been winning a lot lately and it just never gets old, playing in front of these fans, getting to coach in front of these fans, these players love it, I love it, it just never gets old," Coy tells reporters following the game.&nbsp; "And I'm looking forward to next season already, we're going to enjoy it tonight, but looking forward to next season already, a new crop of players, I'm sure we'll get a lot of returners because we do every year, and hopefully some guys will fill some holes and we'll compete for number 11."

The Mustangs benefitted from Clarinda errors in the game, with the A's having seven overall.&nbsp; The first run of the game scored as Benton alum Chris Coy reached first on a throwing error by the catcher, driving in Jack Mosh in the second inning.&nbsp; Lafayette alum Jayden Little also scored in the second on a sacrifice fly from Easton Phillipe.&nbsp;

In the third inning the Mustangs tacked on another run on an error by the right fielder, Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart coming home to score. Another sacrifice fly from Phillipe drove in Dom Felix before Bishop LeBlond alum and recent transfer to Northwest Missouri State Frank Gall pinch hit in the inning and singled driving in two more, scoring Coy and Little.&nbsp;

For Gall, who spent much of the season battling injury, it was special to win the championship

"I only got to play in nine or 10 games, so to finish with a MINK League championship is all I could have asked for," Gall says.

Gall says winning the 10th championship in the Mustangs history is pretty amazing

"I think we just expect it every year, and it feels great man, it feels awesome," Gall excitedly says.&nbsp;

Things unraveled more in the fifth inning for the A's as the Mustangs scored seven runs, again benefiting from Clarinda errors as the A's made five in the fifth inning alone.&nbsp;

Central alum Logan Miller reached first on a throwing error by the shortstop, bringing home Coy.&nbsp; Another throwing error from the shortstop allowed Darius Freeman to reach first base, scoring two runs as Gall and Miller came across home, before Freeman later scored on a single from Luikart.&nbsp; Another single by Mosh drove in Luikart to continue extending the lead and then another throwing error allowed Dom Felix to score a run as Coy reached on a fielders choice.&nbsp; The final run scored as Coy stole second, and on the throw Little came across home to score.&nbsp;

The Mustangs have benefitted from a strong pitching staff all season long, and it was no different on Saturday night.&nbsp; Bishop LeBlond alum and former Northwest Missouri State pitcher Jaren Guck was a key part of that pitching staff, and threw a complete game shutout in Saturday's finale.

Guck, who helped close out last year's championship against Clarinda as well, says he just loves the moment

"I mean the adrenaline just gets you going, I think it makes it easy to pitch and I just love the moment, it's fun to pitch in, and I'm just happy to do it twice," Guck says.

Guck pitched his final game as a Mustang after finishing his collegiate career at Northwest this spring.  Guck says it's always great to win with the Mustangs. 

"It's always a great feeling, I always look forward to this because I always feel good about our chances every summer and it's two in a row now," Guck says.&nbsp; "I won't be here, but let's go for three."

Guck struck out eight and gave up just three hits on Saturday to help secure the Mustangs championship.&nbsp; At the plate, Gall was 2-for-3 with two RBI's.&nbsp; Mosh was 2-for-3 with one RBI, while Little was 2-for-3 with a walk and three runs scored.&nbsp;

The Mustangs finished the season 38-8 with a 28-7 record in the MINK League.&nbsp;&nbsp;This is the fourth time the Mustangs have won the championship in back to back years, last winning it in 2021 and 2022.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753590486138.jpeg" alt="The St. Joseph Mustangs hoist the MINK League Championship trophy/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>The St. Joseph Mustangs hoist the MINK League Championship trophy/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKEThere are only two teams in Major League Baseball who have won double digit World Series, the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals, with the next closest being the Boston Red Sox with nine.&nbsp; And now one collegiate summer league team can claim they are in a pretty exclusive club of teams to win double digit championships.&nbsp;&nbsp;The St. Joseph Mustangs hoisted their 10th MINK League Championship on Saturday, after beating the Clarinda A's 13-0 at Phil Welch Stadium in a seven inning run rule victory, bringing home back to back championships for the fourth time in the history of the team.&nbsp;&nbsp;Manager Johnny Coy says it was a special year, with the team losing just eight games, and says it means everything to win a championship"Every single year we strive for a championship, and we've been winning a lot lately and it just never gets old, playing in front of these fans, getting to coach in front of these fans, these players love it, I love it, it just never gets old," Coy tells reporters following the game.&nbsp; "And I'm looking forward to next season already, we're going to enjoy it tonight, but looking forward to next season already, a new crop of players, I'm sure we'll get a lot of returners because we do every year, and hopefully some guys will fill some holes and we'll compete for number 11."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753591064945.jpeg" alt="Mustangs General Manager and Owner and MINK League Commissioner Ky Turner presents the MINK League Championship trophy to the St. Joseph Mustangs/ Photo by Matt Pike." />
 <figcaption>Mustangs General Manager and Owner and MINK League Commissioner Ky Turner presents the MINK League Championship trophy to the St. Joseph Mustangs/ Photo by Matt Pike.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Mustangs benefitted from Clarinda errors in the game, with the A's having seven overall.&nbsp; The first run of the game scored as Benton alum Chris Coy reached first on a throwing error by the catcher, driving in Jack Mosh in the second inning.&nbsp; Lafayette alum Jayden Little also scored in the second on a sacrifice fly from Easton Phillipe.&nbsp;In the third inning the Mustangs tacked on another run on an error by the right fielder, Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart coming home to score. Another sacrifice fly from Phillipe drove in Dom Felix before Bishop LeBlond alum and recent transfer to Northwest Missouri State Frank Gall pinch hit in the inning and singled driving in two more, scoring Coy and Little.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753591583016.jpeg" alt="Bishop LeBlond alum and Northwest Missouri State's Frank Gall/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Bishop LeBlond alum and Northwest Missouri State's Frank Gall/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>For Gall, who spent much of the season battling injury, it was special to win the championship"I only got to play in nine or 10 games, so to finish with a MINK League championship is all I could have asked for," Gall says.Gall says winning the 10th championship in the Mustangs history is pretty amazing"I think we just expect it every year, and it feels great man, it feels awesome," Gall excitedly says.&nbsp;Things unraveled more in the fifth inning for the A's as the Mustangs scored seven runs, again benefiting from Clarinda errors as the A's made five in the fifth inning alone.&nbsp;Central alum Logan Miller reached first on a throwing error by the shortstop, bringing home Coy.&nbsp; Another throwing error from the shortstop allowed Darius Freeman to reach first base, scoring two runs as Gall and Miller came across home, before Freeman later scored on a single from Luikart.&nbsp; Another single by Mosh drove in Luikart to continue extending the lead and then another throwing error allowed Dom Felix to score a run as Coy reached on a fielders choice.&nbsp; The final run scored as Coy stole second, and on the throw Little came across home to score.&nbsp;The Mustangs have benefitted from a strong pitching staff all season long, and it was no different on Saturday night.&nbsp; Bishop LeBlond alum and former Northwest Missouri State pitcher Jaren Guck was a key part of that pitching staff, and threw a complete game shutout in Saturday's finale.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753592198126.jpeg" alt="Bishop LeBlonsd alum and former Northwest Missouri State pitcher Jaren Guck threw a complete game shutout as the St. Joseph Mustangs won their 10th MINK League Championship/ Photo by Matt Pike&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Bishop LeBlonsd alum and former Northwest Missouri State pitcher Jaren Guck threw a complete game shutout as the St. Joseph Mustangs won their 10th MINK League Championship/ Photo by Matt Pike&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Guck, who helped close out last year's championship against Clarinda as well, says he just loves the moment"I mean the adrenaline just gets you going, I think it makes it easy to pitch and I just love the moment, it's fun to pitch in, and I'm just happy to do it twice," Guck says.Guck pitched his final game as a Mustang after finishing his collegiate career at Northwest this spring. Guck says it's always great to win with the Mustangs. "It's always a great feeling, I always look forward to this because I always feel good about our chances every summer and it's two in a row now," Guck says.&nbsp; "I won't be here, but let's go for three."Guck struck out eight and gave up just three hits on Saturday to help secure the Mustangs championship.&nbsp; At the plate, Gall was 2-for-3 with two RBI's.&nbsp; Mosh was 2-for-3 with one RBI, while Little was 2-for-3 with a walk and three runs scored.&nbsp;The Mustangs finished the season 38-8 with a 28-7 record in the MINK League.&nbsp;&nbsp;This is the fourth time the Mustangs have won the championship in back to back years, last winning it in 2021 and 2022.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753592281583.jpeg" alt="Brayden Luikart&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Brayden Luikart&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753592305359.jpeg" alt="Mustangs players celebrate the 10th MINK League championship in St. Joseph Mustangs history&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Mustangs players celebrate the 10th MINK League championship in St. Joseph Mustangs history&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753592328711.jpeg" alt="Jack Mosh" />
 <figcaption>Jack Mosh</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753592344710.jpeg" alt="Jayden LIttle" />
 <figcaption>Jayden LIttle</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

St. Joseph Mustangs hoist championship number 10

CLINTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 8:30a.m. Saturday in Clinton County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Chevy Silverado driven by a 23-year-old Gower man was southbound on U.S. 169 two miles north of Grayson. The pickup rear-ended a 2017 Ford Focus driven by a 38-year-old St. Joseph woman who was slowing to make a left turn at SW 247th Street.&nbsp;

Tri-County ambulance transported the St. Joseph woman to Mosaic Life Care. The pickup driver was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

CLINTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 8:30a.m. Saturday in Clinton County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Chevy Silverado driven by a 23-year-old Gower man was southbound on U.S. 169 two miles north of Grayson. The pickup rear-ended a 2017 Ford Focus driven by a 38-year-old St. Joseph woman who was slowing to make a left turn at SW 247th Street.&nbsp;Tri-County ambulance transported the St. Joseph woman to Mosaic Life Care. The pickup driver was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP.

Woman from St. Joe injured in rear-end crash

Fillmore city
officials have lifted a boil order issued earlier this week.

Fillmore city
officials have lifted a boil order issued earlier this week.

Fillmore lifts boil order

BUCHANAN COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just after 3p.m. Thursday in Buchanan County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Ford Ranger driven by a 67-year-old Rushville man was westbound on County Road 237. The driver lost control of the pickup. It traveled off the right side of the road and rolled.

Buchanan County EMS transported the driver and a passenger identified as a 35-year-old St. Joseph man to Mosaic Life Care. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

BUCHANAN COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just after 3p.m. Thursday in Buchanan County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Ford Ranger driven by a 67-year-old Rushville man was westbound on County Road 237. The driver lost control of the pickup. It traveled off the right side of the road and rolled.Buchanan County EMS transported the driver and a passenger identified as a 35-year-old St. Joseph man to Mosaic Life Care. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

2 Missouri men injured in pickup rollover accident

The Kansas City Chiefs entered this year's training camp at Missouri Western State University loaded at the running back position.  

A healthy Isiah Pacheco, a newly signed Elijah Mitchell, and drafted Brashard Smith have had a good start to camp, not to mention Carson Steele and Kareem Hunt.  

For Hunt, who was signed three weeks into the season last year, feels he's really benefitted from having a full offseason of preparation 

"I was more locked in staying on schedule," Hunt tells reporters.  "Because I didn't know when I was going to get picked up or when I was going to have the opportunity, or if I was going to have the opportunity to play again, so I stayed on top of things this offseason, made sure I stayed in good shape from OTA's and just able to keep building on what I've already built." 

Hunt rushed for 728 yards last season and seven touchdowns, primarily used as a short yardage back, which could again be his role if he earns his spot.  

The competition on the offensive line will continue to be a focus for much of Chiefs Training Camp as the Chiefs majorly refocus on reshaping their offensive line.  

Seeking left tackle consistency, the Chiefs drafted Joshua Simmons and signed former San Francisco 49er Jaylon Moore to replace Wanya Morris and Kingsley Suamataia 

Center Creed Humphrey says with two new tackles coming in, it's all about building chemistry along the offensive line 

"That's why camp's really good for this, you get a ton of reps in, a ton of looks against Spags defense, so it's preparing you all for the season," Humphrey says.  "So, we're excited about it, we've got some really good talent in that room right now and it's going to really good competition."  

Suamataia is competing to replace Joe Thuney at left guard after the Chiefs traded Thuney to the Chicago Bears.  Kansas City has also been without Jawaan Taylor to start camp as he's on the PUP list 

In a move that was overshadowed by the resigning of Trey Smith and contract extension of George Karlaftis, the Chiefs linebacking core got a boost early this offseason, bringing back a fan favorite, who's also a leader on the defense.  

Nick Bolton signed a three-year contract extension to stay with the Chiefs, after many thought he might leave.  Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo called Bolton the Patrick Mahomes of the defense 

Linebacker Leo Chenal echoes the sentiment saying having Bolton back means everything 

"When he's on the field it's just different, you guys can see it I'm sure, not only his play, his leadership, his loud, bold communcation, just his positivity, you can go down the list of what a leader is and Nick Bolton checks the box," Chenal says.  "So, it boosts morale to the whole team and makes everybody play better around him."  

For Chenal, he enters this season on the final year of his rookie contract, but says he's keeping his mind off it as best he can and is focused on doing his best for the team 

The Chiefs practiced for just under two hours today.  They are back at practice tomorrow at 9:15, before an off day on Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753383699039.jpeg" alt="Kareem Hunt/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Kareem Hunt/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE The Kansas City Chiefs entered this year's training camp at Missouri Western State University loaded at the running back position. A healthy Isiah Pacheco, a newly signed Elijah Mitchell, and drafted Brashard Smith have had a good start to camp, not to mention Carson Steele and Kareem Hunt. For Hunt, who was signed three weeks into the season last year, feels he's really benefitted from having a full offseason of preparation "I was more locked in staying on schedule," Hunt tells reporters. "Because I didn't know when I was going to get picked up or when I was going to have the opportunity, or if I was going to have the opportunity to play again, so I stayed on top of things this offseason, made sure I stayed in good shape from OTA's and just able to keep building on what I've already built." Hunt rushed for 728 yards last season and seven touchdowns, primarily used as a short yardage back, which could again be his role if he earns his spot. The competition on the offensive line will continue to be a focus for much of Chiefs Training Camp as the Chiefs majorly refocus on reshaping their offensive line. Seeking left tackle consistency, the Chiefs drafted Joshua Simmons and signed former San Francisco 49er Jaylon Moore to replace Wanya Morris and Kingsley Suamataia Center Creed Humphrey says with two new tackles coming in, it's all about building chemistry along the offensive line "That's why camp's really good for this, you get a ton of reps in, a ton of looks against Spags defense, so it's preparing you all for the season," Humphrey says. "So, we're excited about it, we've got some really good talent in that room right now and it's going to really good competition." Suamataia is competing to replace Joe Thuney at left guard after the Chiefs traded Thuney to the Chicago Bears. Kansas City has also been without Jawaan Taylor to start camp as he's on the PUP list In a move that was overshadowed by the resigning of Trey Smith and contract extension of George Karlaftis, the Chiefs linebacking core got a boost early this offseason, bringing back a fan favorite, who's also a leader on the defense. Nick Bolton signed a three-year contract extension to stay with the Chiefs, after many thought he might leave. Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo called Bolton the Patrick Mahomes of the defense Linebacker Leo Chenal echoes the sentiment saying having Bolton back means everything "When he's on the field it's just different, you guys can see it I'm sure, not only his play, his leadership, his loud, bold communcation, just his positivity, you can go down the list of what a leader is and Nick Bolton checks the box," Chenal says. "So, it boosts morale to the whole team and makes everybody play better around him." For Chenal, he enters this season on the final year of his rookie contract, but says he's keeping his mind off it as best he can and is focused on doing his best for the team The Chiefs practiced for just under two hours today. They are back at practice tomorrow at 9:15, before an off day on Saturday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753383787856.jpeg" alt="Rashee Rice (4) cathces a pass with coverage by linebacker Leo Chenal (54)/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Rashee Rice (4) cathces a pass with coverage by linebacker Leo Chenal (54)/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hunt ready for another year with Chiefs after having full offseason to prepare

Missouri and Kansas have made their pitch
for either renovating Arrowhead Stadium or building a new stadium for the
Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas made its offer early, an attempt to lure the Chiefs
over the state line. Missouri countered with the legislature approving a
package during the special session in June.

Kansas City Chiefs President, Mark
Donovan, says team officials continue to pore over offers from both states as
they consider where the team will play in the future.

Donovan declines to indicate whether one
state has the edge over the other.

“As I said before, I’ll say it again, the
commitment on both sides has been really, really humbling,” Donovan tells
reporters during the opening of Training Camp at Missouri Western State
University. “There’s a real interest to figure this out on both sides of the
state line and that gives us a great opportunity to figure out what is best for
our fans and for the organization.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753375239183.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Chiefs President, Mark Donovan/Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Chiefs President, Mark Donovan/Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostIt is a border battle like no other.Missouri and Kansas have made their pitch
for either renovating Arrowhead Stadium or building a new stadium for the
Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas made its offer early, an attempt to lure the Chiefs
over the state line. Missouri countered with the legislature approving a
package during the special session in June.Kansas City Chiefs President, Mark
Donovan, says team officials continue to pore over offers from both states as
they consider where the team will play in the future.Donovan declines to indicate whether one
state has the edge over the other.“As I said before, I’ll say it again, the
commitment on both sides has been really, really humbling,” Donovan tells
reporters during the opening of Training Camp at Missouri Western State
University. “There’s a real interest to figure this out on both sides of the
state line and that gives us a great opportunity to figure out what is best for
our fans and for the organization.”The Chiefs conducted a survey of fans in
the team’s effort to decide its future. Donovan says three survey results stood
out. Fans take pride in how loud it gets at Arrowhead and want to retain the arguably
loudest stadium in the NFL. Fans like their tailgates and whether the Chiefs renovate
Arrowhead or move to a new stadium, fans want the Chiefs to provide plenty of
room for tailgating. Donovan says the third response that rose to the top was
humbling to the organization. He says fans said they trusted the Chiefs to do
the right thing.Much hinges on what the Royals decide to
do. The Chiefs and the Royals are neighbors, sharing room in the Truman Sports
Complex which opened in 1972. If the Royals leave Kauffman Stadium as expected,
that creates a different dynamic for the Chiefs, according to Donovan. The NFL
franchise could then spread out to take over the entire complex. Donovan does
add that if the Royals cross the state line and relocate in the Kansas side of
the Kansas City metroplex, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Chiefs will move
to Kansas. Previously, the future of the two teams seemed linked. They are
separate now.Donovan says his team is scrutinizing
every paragraph, every word in the offers from both states. “It’s the detail of those deals. What
deal makes the most sense from a business perspective, for a future
perspective. And I think it’s important to point this out – what makes the most
sense for our fans for the next generation, right?” Donovan says. “There are a
lot of really strong arguments on both sides, but we have to make that
decision, what we believe makes the best impact on our fans for the next
generation.”Donovan emphasizes the decision on where
the Chiefs call home has no impact on whether the Chiefs continue to hold
training camp in St. Joseph. Missouri Western State University announced just
prior to the beginning of this year’s camp that the university had reached a multi-year
extension with the Chiefs.But will the Chiefs stay in St. Joseph in
the future?Donovan says much like the team’s
decision on whether to renovate Arrowhead or build new, it all depends.“Look, we don’t want to leave, but we may
find a better option in the future and decide to do that,” Donovan says. “It’s
kind of what we’re doing with the stadium right now. We may and we may not.”Donovan says when the Chiefs began
holding training camp in St. Joseph in 2010, no one could have guessed the
impact it would have on the city.“And you look at it today, 15 years in, it’s
measurable and it’s exceeded everyone’s expectations and we’re proud of that,” Donovan
says. “But we also believe that’s what we bring to the table. We can bring
something that can change, have impact. And, if you look at the history of
this, we’ve done that.”The Chiefs moved training camp from the
University of Wisconsin – River Falls. Before that, the Chiefs held training
camp at William Jewel College in Liberty.You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

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