BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an incident in northeast Kansas.

Just before 10a.m. September 10, a sheriff's&nbsp;deputy was on routine patrol and noticed plywood scattered on U.S. 36 highway just south of Hiawatha that appeared to have been lost off of a vehicle going to the landfill, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.&nbsp;

&nbsp; A vehicle description was passed on to landfill employees by the deputy , and the suspect vehicle and occupants were made available for questioning when the deputy arrived.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Upon conclusion of the investigation, the driver of the vehicle, 31-year-old&nbsp; Edubiel Vega Gonzalez of&nbsp; Dawson, Nebraska was arrested on requested charges of Driving While License Cancelled, Suspended or Revoked&nbsp; and also cited for&nbsp; Littering&nbsp; The passengers in the Gonzalez vehicle were directed to clean the debris from the roadway.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758144874411.png" alt="Gonzalez photo Brown County" />
 <figcaption>Gonzalez photo Brown County</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an incident in northeast Kansas.Just before 10a.m. September 10, a sheriff's&nbsp;deputy was on routine patrol and noticed plywood scattered on U.S. 36 highway just south of Hiawatha that appeared to have been lost off of a vehicle going to the landfill, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.&nbsp;&nbsp; A vehicle description was passed on to landfill employees by the deputy , and the suspect vehicle and occupants were made available for questioning when the deputy arrived.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Upon conclusion of the investigation, the driver of the vehicle, 31-year-old&nbsp; Edubiel Vega Gonzalez of&nbsp; Dawson, Nebraska was arrested on requested charges of Driving While License Cancelled, Suspended or Revoked&nbsp; and also cited for&nbsp; Littering&nbsp; The passengers in the Gonzalez vehicle were directed to clean the debris from the roadway.

Sheriff: Suspect with no drivers license dumped trash on Kan. highway

With warmer weather and recent flooding creating ideal conditions, wildlife officials are reporting more rattlesnake activity than usual across Kansas.

Field staff say the uptick comes at a time when many hunting seasons are underway or about to begin, making it especially important for outdoor enthusiasts to stay alert.

Venomous snakes found in Kansas include several rattlesnake species and copperheads. However, officials emphasize that most snakes encountered in the state are nonvenomous and play a valuable role in maintaining balanced ecosystems. Snakebites in Kansas are rarely fatal, thanks to effective medical treatments available at hospitals.

Tips for Staying Safe Outdoors •&nbsp; Watch your step, especially in tall grass or brush. •&nbsp; Be cautious around logs, rocks, or other debris where snakes may be hiding. •&nbsp; Give snakes space if you encounter one—don’t attempt to catch or kill it.

If Bitten by a Venomous Snake •&nbsp; Stay calm to slow the spread of venom. •&nbsp; Call 911 or get to the nearest hospital as quickly as possible, but avoid driving yourself if symptoms progress. •&nbsp; Do not attempt to catch or kill the snake. Antivenoms used in the U.S. are effective for all pit viper bites, including rattlesnakes and copperheads.

Kansas wildlife officials encourage residents and visitors to continue enjoying the outdoors this season—just with added awareness and preparation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758145054284.jpeg" alt="(Photo courtesy Kansas Department of Wildlife and Park)" />
 <figcaption>(Photo courtesy Kansas Department of Wildlife and Park)</figcaption>
 </figure>With warmer weather and recent flooding creating ideal conditions, wildlife officials are reporting more rattlesnake activity than usual across Kansas.Field staff say the uptick comes at a time when many hunting seasons are underway or about to begin, making it especially important for outdoor enthusiasts to stay alert.Venomous snakes found in Kansas include several rattlesnake species and copperheads. However, officials emphasize that most snakes encountered in the state are nonvenomous and play a valuable role in maintaining balanced ecosystems. Snakebites in Kansas are rarely fatal, thanks to effective medical treatments available at hospitals.Tips for Staying Safe Outdoors •&nbsp; Watch your step, especially in tall grass or brush. •&nbsp; Be cautious around logs, rocks, or other debris where snakes may be hiding. •&nbsp; Give snakes space if you encounter one—don’t attempt to catch or kill it.If Bitten by a Venomous Snake •&nbsp; Stay calm to slow the spread of venom. •&nbsp; Call 911 or get to the nearest hospital as quickly as possible, but avoid driving yourself if symptoms progress. •&nbsp; Do not attempt to catch or kill the snake. Antivenoms used in the U.S. are effective for all pit viper bites, including rattlesnakes and copperheads.Kansas wildlife officials encourage residents and visitors to continue enjoying the outdoors this season—just with added awareness and preparation.

Dept. of Wildlife and Parks warns on increased rattlesnake activity

September is National Preparedness Month.  

And during the month, officials with the Greater Kansas City and northwest Missouri American Red Cross are urging residents to protect their loved ones by getting your household ready.  

Executive Director JoAnn Woody says it’s important for people to be prepared for all kinds of emergencies, because there are so many that could happen in everyday life. 

"So it’s important for us to be ready for some of those very different things, whether it’s a medical emergency, whether It’s a child who falls down and cuts themselves while they’re outside playing, whether it’s making sure that you have emergency supplies, there’s just a whole list of things that people can do,” Woody tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  “And so, this is our month that we really want to get folks to pay attention to how they can be prepared.” 

Woody encourages everyone to develop a plan for any sort of emergency, and to be sure everyone in your family knows what that plan is in case something happens.  

Woody says the number one thing right now people should get prepared for as we move into fall and winter is the danger of home fires.  

"This is a time of year, while it’s really warm right now, we’re not looking too far down the road to having that nice crisp fall weather when folks are trying their fireplaces, turning on their furnaces for the first time,” Woody explains.  “And so, we want to make sure that people are being very attentive and very deliberate in checking out their fireplaces to make sure they're in good capable working order and that they’re safe, and to have their furnaces and all their heating appliances checked to make sure they’re functioning well.” 

Woody says now is a good time, when it's not cold and snowy, to also go over that plan for if a home fire were to happen and know your evacuation route.  

Woody says to make sure you know the different plans, be it for a fire or a tornado, and then be sure to go over that plan with your entire family 

"I know I made the mistake one time I had great plans, and I had it all figured out, I kind of forgot to tell my husband, and so at one point we were talking to a group and my husband was in the audience and someone looked down and said I don’t think you’re part of the plan,” Woody says.  “So, I realized I had not done my job by telling him the plan, so now we actually have a regular time, once or twice a year, we’ll go through our plan and make sure nothing has changed.” 

Woody says you should also make sure to gather critical supplies like water and shelf-stable food, as well as medical supplies in case of any emergency. 

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

By MATT PIKESeptember is National Preparedness Month. And during the month, officials with the Greater Kansas City and northwest Missouri American Red Cross are urging residents to protect their loved ones by getting your household ready. Executive Director JoAnn Woody says it’s important for people to be prepared for all kinds of emergencies, because there are so many that could happen in everyday life. "So it’s important for us to be ready for some of those very different things, whether it’s a medical emergency, whether It’s a child who falls down and cuts themselves while they’re outside playing, whether it’s making sure that you have emergency supplies, there’s just a whole list of things that people can do,” Woody tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “And so, this is our month that we really want to get folks to pay attention to how they can be prepared.” Woody encourages everyone to develop a plan for any sort of emergency, and to be sure everyone in your family knows what that plan is in case something happens. Woody says the number one thing right now people should get prepared for as we move into fall and winter is the danger of home fires. "This is a time of year, while it’s really warm right now, we’re not looking too far down the road to having that nice crisp fall weather when folks are trying their fireplaces, turning on their furnaces for the first time,” Woody explains. “And so, we want to make sure that people are being very attentive and very deliberate in checking out their fireplaces to make sure they're in good capable working order and that they’re safe, and to have their furnaces and all their heating appliances checked to make sure they’re functioning well.” Woody says now is a good time, when it's not cold and snowy, to also go over that plan for if a home fire were to happen and know your evacuation route. Woody says to make sure you know the different plans, be it for a fire or a tornado, and then be sure to go over that plan with your entire family "I know I made the mistake one time I had great plans, and I had it all figured out, I kind of forgot to tell my husband, and so at one point we were talking to a group and my husband was in the audience and someone looked down and said I don’t think you’re part of the plan,” Woody says. “So, I realized I had not done my job by telling him the plan, so now we actually have a regular time, once or twice a year, we’ll go through our plan and make sure nothing has changed.” Woody says you should also make sure to gather critical supplies like water and shelf-stable food, as well as medical supplies in case of any emergency. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

American Red Cross wants you prepared for any type of emergency

Andrew County
leaders and residents gather Thursday for the third annual Economic Outlook
Luncheon.

Wakefield Hare
with the Andrew County Foundation says the luncheon provides an opportunity for
members of a diverse county to come together to move it forward.

“We are in this
together by our jurisdiction and we really want to be aware of the unique
challenges of someone living in Country Club Village versus someone living near
Fillmore or Cosby or Bolckow or Rea; in all these places that make up this
community,” Hare tells KFEQmmunity.

The Andrew County
Foundation hosts the 2025 Economic Outlook Luncheon which is being held at the
Clasbey Community Center in Savannah. It begins at 11:30 Thursday morning and
wraps up a one that afternoon.

Hare says the
luncheon this year focuses on education with Savannah Superintendent, Brian
Hansen, North Andrew Superintendent, Jake Barker, and Avenue City
Superintendent, Becky Grimes, scheduled as featured speakers. Hare says they
will address the question of educational opportunity.

“And we definitely
want to hear from those three who’ve thought more about it than most in our
community and then also understand the resource challenges of doing that
effectively, efficiently, sustainably while also giving kids in the middle of
America every opportunity that they need to compete with someone who has an
education (from) any other part of the world,” Hare says.

Hare says Andrew
County is diverse, but it has a synergy he hopes comes across during the
luncheon. 

“But the primary
goal is you see and you look around you and like, hey, I’m not the only one
kind of worried or thinking about these future issues or challenges or
opportunities we may not take. Other people are thinking about it,” Hare says. “And
we don’t have to live in our little islands and pockets. We get together, we
have some social coherence, and we understand we really are on the same team.
And when we do that you kind of get that inspirational movie feel of we can
tackle anything, because we’re together.”

The luncheon
focused on law enforcement last year.

You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758123458059.jpeg" alt="Andrew County Courthouse/Missouri Associations of Counties photo" />
 <figcaption>Andrew County Courthouse/Missouri Associations of Counties photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINAndrew County
leaders and residents gather Thursday for the third annual Economic Outlook
Luncheon.Wakefield Hare
with the Andrew County Foundation says the luncheon provides an opportunity for
members of a diverse county to come together to move it forward.“We are in this
together by our jurisdiction and we really want to be aware of the unique
challenges of someone living in Country Club Village versus someone living near
Fillmore or Cosby or Bolckow or Rea; in all these places that make up this
community,” Hare tells KFEQmmunity.The Andrew County
Foundation hosts the 2025 Economic Outlook Luncheon which is being held at the
Clasbey Community Center in Savannah. It begins at 11:30 Thursday morning and
wraps up a one that afternoon.Hare says the
luncheon this year focuses on education with Savannah Superintendent, Brian
Hansen, North Andrew Superintendent, Jake Barker, and Avenue City
Superintendent, Becky Grimes, scheduled as featured speakers. Hare says they
will address the question of educational opportunity.“And we definitely
want to hear from those three who’ve thought more about it than most in our
community and then also understand the resource challenges of doing that
effectively, efficiently, sustainably while also giving kids in the middle of
America every opportunity that they need to compete with someone who has an
education (from) any other part of the world,” Hare says.Hare says Andrew
County is diverse, but it has a synergy he hopes comes across during the
luncheon. “But the primary
goal is you see and you look around you and like, hey, I’m not the only one
kind of worried or thinking about these future issues or challenges or
opportunities we may not take. Other people are thinking about it,” Hare says. “And
we don’t have to live in our little islands and pockets. We get together, we
have some social coherence, and we understand we really are on the same team.
And when we do that you kind of get that inspirational movie feel of we can
tackle anything, because we’re together.”The luncheon
focused on law enforcement last year.You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

Andrew County to assess economic outlook at luncheon

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

A Democratic legislator from Springfield faces a Missouri House ethics investigation because of an obscene text message sent to a Republican colleague during debate over the new congressional district map.

State Rep. Jeremy Dean of Springfield sent the text message on Sept. 4 to Republican state Rep. Cecelie Williams of Dittmer. Dean and other Democrats were engaged in a sit-in on the House floor and Williams was serving on the House Local Government, Elections and Pensions Committee as it debated a bill altering the majority requirement for constitutional amendments proposed by initiative.

The message included a description of an oral sex act with the president and questioned how Republicans could talk while engaged in it.

House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Democrat from Kansas City, said she removed&nbsp; Dean from his committee assignments after learning about the text.&nbsp;

“What Jeremy sent was wrong,” Aune said.

The text also inspired an ethics complaint against Dean. The House Ethics Committee, which conducts all its business confidentially until it has finished an investigation, met Sept. 10 to begin inquiries into two complaints.

Dean and Williams are freshman lawmakers, both winning their first terms in November.

Williams confirmed she received the obscene message but declined an interview, citing the ethics committee’s confidentiality rules.

“It was unwanted and unappreciated,” Williams said of the text. “I feel that the message has absolutely no place in the Missouri legislature or any other workplace at all. And so that’s really all that I can say.”

Dean declined a request for an interview.&nbsp;In a text, he also cited confidentiality of ethics investigations and said he is worried about his personal safety.

“Because of ongoing safety concerns stemming from death threats directed at me, I cannot provide a detailed comment on the allegations,” Dean said. “It is disheartening that some of my colleagues across the aisle have chosen to disregard these laws, though unfortunately, it aligns with their recent pattern of behavior.”&nbsp;

The text message to Williams became public when a screenshot of it was shared on social media by former Republican state Rep. Adam Schwadron. The post inspired outrage and vitriol towards Dean.

“Typical behavior from a degenerate homo,” Aaron Dorr, a longtime gun-rights activist and lobbyist for the Missouri Firearms Coalition, wrote on social media in response to the screenshot. “America needs to make sodomy and trans behavior sinful and disgusting again.”&nbsp;

Dean has apologized to Williams, Aune said.

“I am disappointed that this text was even sent and take it very seriously,” Aune said. “I would argue it was probably not even the worst thing sent between members that day.”

If Republicans try to make an example of Dean, Aune said, members of her caucus will respond.

“One of the things I shared with the speaker was that if this rises to the level of a big deal,” Aune said, “then I’ve got news for him and his caucus, because my caucus has receipts, too.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758105183280.png" alt=" State Rep. Jeremy Dean, D-Springfield, speaks in February on the Missouri House floor. (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)" />
 <figcaption> State Rep. Jeremy Dean, D-Springfield, speaks in February on the Missouri House floor. (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>A Democratic legislator from Springfield faces a Missouri House ethics investigation because of an obscene text message sent to a Republican colleague during debate over the new congressional district map.State Rep. Jeremy Dean of Springfield sent the text message on Sept. 4 to Republican state Rep. Cecelie Williams of Dittmer. Dean and other Democrats were engaged in a sit-in on the House floor and Williams was serving on the House Local Government, Elections and Pensions Committee as it debated a bill altering the majority requirement for constitutional amendments proposed by initiative.The message included a description of an oral sex act with the president and questioned how Republicans could talk while engaged in it.House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Democrat from Kansas City, said she removed&nbsp; Dean from his committee assignments after learning about the text.&nbsp;“What Jeremy sent was wrong,” Aune said.The text also inspired an ethics complaint against Dean. The House Ethics Committee, which conducts all its business confidentially until it has finished an investigation, met Sept. 10 to begin inquiries into two complaints.Dean and Williams are freshman lawmakers, both winning their first terms in November.Williams confirmed she received the obscene message but declined an interview, citing the ethics committee’s confidentiality rules.“It was unwanted and unappreciated,” Williams said of the text. “I feel that the message has absolutely no place in the Missouri legislature or any other workplace at all. And so that’s really all that I can say.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758105150364.png" alt="State Rep. Cecelie Williams, R-Dittmer, speaks in February during Missouri House debate (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)." />
 <figcaption>State Rep. Cecelie Williams, R-Dittmer, speaks in February during Missouri House debate (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).</figcaption>
 </figure>Dean declined a request for an interview.&nbsp;In a text, he also cited confidentiality of ethics investigations and said he is worried about his personal safety.“Because of ongoing safety concerns stemming from death threats directed at me, I cannot provide a detailed comment on the allegations,” Dean said. “It is disheartening that some of my colleagues across the aisle have chosen to disregard these laws, though unfortunately, it aligns with their recent pattern of behavior.”&nbsp;The text message to Williams became public when a screenshot of it was shared on social media by former Republican state Rep. Adam Schwadron. The post inspired outrage and vitriol towards Dean.“Typical behavior from a degenerate homo,” Aaron Dorr, a longtime gun-rights activist and lobbyist for the Missouri Firearms Coalition, wrote on social media in response to the screenshot. “America needs to make sodomy and trans behavior sinful and disgusting again.”&nbsp;Dean has apologized to Williams, Aune said.“I am disappointed that this text was even sent and take it very seriously,” Aune said. “I would argue it was probably not even the worst thing sent between members that day.”If Republicans try to make an example of Dean, Aune said, members of her caucus will respond.“One of the things I shared with the speaker was that if this rises to the level of a big deal,” Aune said, “then I’ve got news for him and his caucus, because my caucus has receipts, too.”

Mo. House Democrat faces ethics inquiry, loses committee seats over obscene text

BROWN COUNTY —The search for a wanted suspect is over in northeast Kansas.

Just after 10:30a.m. Sunday, deputies aprehanded 39-year-old Josh Heideman of Corning at the Brown County State fishing lake, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

A deputy had received a tip that Heideman was staying at the lake in a tent.&nbsp; A coordinated effort with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks officers and Sheriff's deputies resulted in an arrest without incident at the campsite.

Heideman is being held on requested chargesof Interference of Law enforcement officer and a parole violation stemming from an incident on September 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a series of criminal activity in Brown and Jackson County are asking the public for help in locating 38-year-old&nbsp; Joshua Heideman of Centralia, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.

Heideman is&nbsp; &nbsp;Heideman is described as a 38-year-old&nbsp; white male,&nbsp; 6-foot tall and he weighs approximately 230 pounds.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758038702782.png" alt="Heideman photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Heideman photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —The search for a wanted suspect is over in northeast Kansas.Just after 10:30a.m. Sunday, deputies aprehanded 39-year-old Josh Heideman of Corning at the Brown County State fishing lake, according to Sheriff John Merchant.A deputy had received a tip that Heideman was staying at the lake in a tent.&nbsp; A coordinated effort with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks officers and Sheriff's deputies resulted in an arrest without incident at the campsite.Heideman is being held on requested chargesof Interference of Law enforcement officer and a parole violation stemming from an incident on September 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;-------------------------BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a series of criminal activity in Brown and Jackson County are asking the public for help in locating 38-year-old&nbsp; Joshua Heideman of Centralia, according to Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.Heideman is&nbsp; &nbsp;Heideman is described as a 38-year-old&nbsp; white male,&nbsp; 6-foot tall and he weighs approximately 230 pounds.&nbsp;

Wanted suspect was hiding in a tent at NE Kansas lake

ATCHISON COUNTY, Kan. —Two people were injured&nbsp; in an accident just after 6p.m. Monday in Atchison.

A 2024 Dodge Ram pickup pulling a trailer and driven by Kevin Brauer, 56, McLouth, was westbound on U.S. 59 at 14th Street. He failed to stop at a red traffic control light according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp; The pickup and a southbound 2018 Mazda passenger car driven by Tessa Jimenez, 54, Atchison, collided in the intersection.

Fire Department crews extricated Jimenez from the vehicle and&nbsp; transported her and a 54-year-old male passenger to Amberwell Hospital for examination.

There were no injuries in the Brauer vehicle. Police cited him for failure to stop at a red traffic control signal.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1758034216535.png" alt="Photo Atchison Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Atchison Police</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY, Kan. —Two people were injured&nbsp; in an accident just after 6p.m. Monday in Atchison.A 2024 Dodge Ram pickup pulling a trailer and driven by Kevin Brauer, 56, McLouth, was westbound on U.S. 59 at 14th Street. He failed to stop at a red traffic control light according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp; The pickup and a southbound 2018 Mazda passenger car driven by Tessa Jimenez, 54, Atchison, collided in the intersection.Fire Department crews extricated Jimenez from the vehicle and&nbsp; transported her and a 54-year-old male passenger to Amberwell Hospital for examination.There were no injuries in the Brauer vehicle. Police cited him for failure to stop at a red traffic control signal.

2 hospitalized after 2-vehicle Kansas crash

The Missouri NAACP sued to block lawmakers from meeting in a special session. Now that the special session has concluded, the lawsuit has become moot, the attorney for the state said

Gov. Mike Kehoe called a special session to redraw Missouri’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/12/gerrymandered-congressional-map-initiative-petitions-limits-sent-to-missouri-governor/">congressional map&nbsp;</a>without a compelling reason, attorneys for the Missouri NAACP said Monday.

Therefore, they contend, the map passed by lawmakers should be declared void.

In the first of what promises to be&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/15/three-lawsuits-and-a-referendum-new-missouri-congressional-map-faces-multiple-attacks/">extensive legal wrangling</a>&nbsp;over the new maps, Cole County Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh heard arguments in a case that contends lawmakers should never have met at all. Filed by the NAACP as the special session began, attorney Sharon Jones argued Monday afternoon that the litigation should not be thrown out just because the session is already over.

There are, she said, questions that should be answered about the governor’s power to convene the legislature.

“We are in a position where new maps are going to have to be prepared, where legal challenges are already ongoing based on the legislation that passed,” Jones said. “The harms, because of what we believe to be an improperly called extraordinary session, continue to march, and that’s why we’re still seeking the preliminary injunction and the temporary restraining order.

Limbaugh did not rule immediately and did not estimate how long he would take.

Opposing the lawsuit, state Solicitor General Louis Capozzi said the case should be dismissed as moot because the legislature has met and adjourned. If that isn’t enough to dismiss the case, he said, the inherently political nature of a special session decision gives the governor broad discretion.

The Missouri&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=IV++++9&amp;bid=31821&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">Constitution says</a>&nbsp;the governor can call lawmakers into session on “extraordinary occasions” after naming the items “on which action is deemed necessary.”

“Plaintiffs want this court to second guess the governor on what constitutes an extraordinary occasion,” Capozzi said. “There’s no precedent to guide the court on that open-ended inquiry, no cases at all. It’s an inherently political and policy focused decision, and without any precedent to guide the court, the court should not start down that path.”

Over 10 days ending Friday, the General Assembly met and passed two bills responding to&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.mo.gov/proclamations/governor-kehoe-convenes-second-extraordinary-session-first-regular-session-one" target="_blank">Kehoe’s call</a>&nbsp;to revise congressional maps and pass a proposal making it harder to pass constitutional amendments by initiative petition.

The revised congressional district map is intended to flip the 5th District, currently held by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat, to Republican control.

Barring court action or a referendum petition to delay it, the new maps will take effect Dec. 11 and be used for elections in 2026. The proposal on initiatives will be on the November 2026 ballot unless Kehoe designates it for an election at an earlier date.

The NAACP lawsuit initially sought to block the legislature from meeting at all. Now the civil rights organization is asking that the legislature’s actions be declared invalid.

Jones admitted that no court has ever done what the NAACP is asking Limbaugh to do.

“There have been some cases that are about how far the legislature can go under (during a special session) but not how far the governor can go,” she said.

Along with the NAACP lawsuit filed as the session began, two additional lawsuits have been filed since the General Assembly adjourned. Both challenge the constitutionality of revising congressional district lines other than immediately after a federal census.

One,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=2516-CV29597&amp;inputVO.courtId=CT16#docket" target="_blank">filed in Jackson County</a>, alleges that lawmakers put the same Kansas City precinct into two districts, “creating a map that is malapportioned and/or noncontiguous.” The other,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=25AC-CC06964&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19#docket" target="_blank">filed in Cole County</a>, challenges the new map by questioning the power of the legislature to act between censuses.

The NAACP filed an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Pltf%20First%20Amend%20Petition.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3670307" target="_blank">updated petition Sunday</a>, recognizing that the legislature had already met and adjourned after passing the bills Kehoe wanted.

“The court should require a minimum showing of some set of circumstances or events outside of the normal course of business to justify the convening of the legislature in an extraordinary session,” the revised filing states.

All the main questions raised by the NAACP are moot and the validity of the legislation is being tested in other courts, Capozzi wrote in a filing to the court seeking dismissal of the lawsuit.

And, he noted, the redistricting power is not limited to a particular time by the Constitution.

“Nothing prohibits the General Assembly from adopting a new federal congressional map mid-decade,” Capozzi wrote. “The Missouri Constitution is simply silent on that question. And where the Missouri Constitution is silent on a challenged legislative power, the General Assembly has the discretion to act.”

The question of whether a governor can call a special session is not purely political, Jones said.

“We are not talking about a question that is purely one of discretion,” Jones said. “We are talking about a question of how far does constitutional authority go.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757444658128.png" alt="Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors / Map by Anna Sago " />
 <figcaption>Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors / Map by Anna Sago </figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The Missouri NAACP sued to block lawmakers from meeting in a special session. Now that the special session has concluded, the lawsuit has become moot, the attorney for the state said</h2>BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Gov. Mike Kehoe called a special session to redraw Missouri’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/12/gerrymandered-congressional-map-initiative-petitions-limits-sent-to-missouri-governor/">congressional map&nbsp;</a>without a compelling reason, attorneys for the Missouri NAACP said Monday.Therefore, they contend, the map passed by lawmakers should be declared void.In the first of what promises to be&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/15/three-lawsuits-and-a-referendum-new-missouri-congressional-map-faces-multiple-attacks/">extensive legal wrangling</a>&nbsp;over the new maps, Cole County Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh heard arguments in a case that contends lawmakers should never have met at all. Filed by the NAACP as the special session began, attorney Sharon Jones argued Monday afternoon that the litigation should not be thrown out just because the session is already over.There are, she said, questions that should be answered about the governor’s power to convene the legislature.“We are in a position where new maps are going to have to be prepared, where legal challenges are already ongoing based on the legislation that passed,” Jones said. “The harms, because of what we believe to be an improperly called extraordinary session, continue to march, and that’s why we’re still seeking the preliminary injunction and the temporary restraining order.Limbaugh did not rule immediately and did not estimate how long he would take.Opposing the lawsuit, state Solicitor General Louis Capozzi said the case should be dismissed as moot because the legislature has met and adjourned. If that isn’t enough to dismiss the case, he said, the inherently political nature of a special session decision gives the governor broad discretion.The Missouri&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=IV++++9&amp;bid=31821&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">Constitution says</a>&nbsp;the governor can call lawmakers into session on “extraordinary occasions” after naming the items “on which action is deemed necessary.”“Plaintiffs want this court to second guess the governor on what constitutes an extraordinary occasion,” Capozzi said. “There’s no precedent to guide the court on that open-ended inquiry, no cases at all. It’s an inherently political and policy focused decision, and without any precedent to guide the court, the court should not start down that path.”Over 10 days ending Friday, the General Assembly met and passed two bills responding to&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.mo.gov/proclamations/governor-kehoe-convenes-second-extraordinary-session-first-regular-session-one" target="_blank">Kehoe’s call</a>&nbsp;to revise congressional maps and pass a proposal making it harder to pass constitutional amendments by initiative petition.The revised congressional district map is intended to flip the 5th District, currently held by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat, to Republican control.Barring court action or a referendum petition to delay it, the new maps will take effect Dec. 11 and be used for elections in 2026. The proposal on initiatives will be on the November 2026 ballot unless Kehoe designates it for an election at an earlier date.The NAACP lawsuit initially sought to block the legislature from meeting at all. Now the civil rights organization is asking that the legislature’s actions be declared invalid.Jones admitted that no court has ever done what the NAACP is asking Limbaugh to do.“There have been some cases that are about how far the legislature can go under (during a special session) but not how far the governor can go,” she said.Along with the NAACP lawsuit filed as the session began, two additional lawsuits have been filed since the General Assembly adjourned. Both challenge the constitutionality of revising congressional district lines other than immediately after a federal census.One,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=2516-CV29597&amp;inputVO.courtId=CT16#docket" target="_blank">filed in Jackson County</a>, alleges that lawmakers put the same Kansas City precinct into two districts, “creating a map that is malapportioned and/or noncontiguous.” The other,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=25AC-CC06964&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19#docket" target="_blank">filed in Cole County</a>, challenges the new map by questioning the power of the legislature to act between censuses.The NAACP filed an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Pltf%20First%20Amend%20Petition.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3670307" target="_blank">updated petition Sunday</a>, recognizing that the legislature had already met and adjourned after passing the bills Kehoe wanted.“The court should require a minimum showing of some set of circumstances or events outside of the normal course of business to justify the convening of the legislature in an extraordinary session,” the revised filing states.All the main questions raised by the NAACP are moot and the validity of the legislation is being tested in other courts, Capozzi wrote in a filing to the court seeking dismissal of the lawsuit.And, he noted, the redistricting power is not limited to a particular time by the Constitution.“Nothing prohibits the General Assembly from adopting a new federal congressional map mid-decade,” Capozzi wrote. “The Missouri Constitution is simply silent on that question. And where the Missouri Constitution is silent on a challenged legislative power, the General Assembly has the discretion to act.”The question of whether a governor can call a special session is not purely political, Jones said.“We are not talking about a question that is purely one of discretion,” Jones said. “We are talking about a question of how far does constitutional authority go.”

Judge hears arguments in case seeking to toss Missouri’s new congressional maps

HOLT COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just after 3p.. Monday in Holt County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Chevy Equinox driven by a 59-year-old Atchison, Kansas man was northbound on Interstate 29 ten miles north of Oregon, Missouri.&nbsp; The SUV traveled off the west side of the road, struck an embankment, went airborne, rolled onto its roof&nbsp; and the driver was ejected.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

HOLT COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just after 3p.. Monday in Holt County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Chevy Equinox driven by a 59-year-old Atchison, Kansas man was northbound on Interstate 29 ten miles north of Oregon, Missouri.&nbsp; The SUV traveled off the west side of the road, struck an embankment, went airborne, rolled onto its roof&nbsp; and the driver was ejected.&nbsp; &nbsp;The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Kansas man dies after ejected in SUV rollover accident

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an illegal immigrant on multiple allegations after an arrest in Kansas.

Just after 5p.m. September 9, a sheriff's deputy on routine patrol stopped a vehicle on US 75 Highway near the US 36 Highway interchange for speed violation, according to Sheriff John Merchant. The deputy contacted the driver identified as 40-year-old Giesic Centeno ofBeatrice, Nebraska. The deputy detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage and the driver did not possess a valid drivers license.&nbsp;&nbsp;

 The deputy performed field sobriety testing which Centeno failed.&nbsp;&nbsp; Based on 3 prior DUI convictions, Centeno was arrested on charges of Felony DUI and Operate a Motor Vehicle Without a Valid License.&nbsp; It was discovered&nbsp; that Centeno was subject to be deported. Department of Homeland Security agents now have custody of Centeno.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757953852049.png" alt="Centeno photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Centeno photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an illegal immigrant on multiple allegations after an arrest in Kansas.Just after 5p.m. September 9, a sheriff's deputy on routine patrol stopped a vehicle on US 75 Highway near the US 36 Highway interchange for speed violation, according to Sheriff John Merchant. The deputy contacted the driver identified as 40-year-old Giesic Centeno ofBeatrice, Nebraska. The deputy detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage and the driver did not possess a valid drivers license.&nbsp;&nbsp; The deputy performed field sobriety testing which Centeno failed.&nbsp;&nbsp; Based on 3 prior DUI convictions, Centeno was arrested on charges of Felony DUI and Operate a Motor Vehicle Without a Valid License.&nbsp; It was discovered&nbsp; that Centeno was subject to be deported. Department of Homeland Security agents now have custody of Centeno.

Sheriff: Homeland Security jails man after 4 DUI arrests 

DAVIESS COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just after 6p.m. Sunday in Daviess County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Honda Rubicon driven by a 69-year-old Jamesport woman was westbound on private property on 314th Street on mile west of Jamesport.&nbsp; At the vehicle stopped, a 6-year-old passenger hit the accelerator. The driver overcorrected and the ATV overturned the the overturned. The driver and passenger were ejected.

A private vehicle transported the boy to Wright Memorial Hospital. Daviess County ambulance transported the driver to Wright Memorial Hospital

DAVIESS COUNTY—Two people were injured in an accident just after 6p.m. Sunday in Daviess County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Honda Rubicon driven by a 69-year-old Jamesport woman was westbound on private property on 314th Street on mile west of Jamesport.&nbsp; At the vehicle stopped, a 6-year-old passenger hit the accelerator. The driver overcorrected and the ATV overturned the the overturned. The driver and passenger were ejected.A private vehicle transported the boy to Wright Memorial Hospital. Daviess County ambulance transported the driver to Wright Memorial Hospital

Mo. woman, 6-year-old hospitalized after ATV overturns

LIVINGSTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Sunday in Livingston County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Kia 4K driven by a 20-year-old Plattsmouth, Nebraska man was westbound on U.S. 36 approximately three miles north of Ludlow. The driver lost control of the vehicle as he attempted to pass a semi.&nbsp; The car struck a MODOT sign and traveled off the west side of the road.

Livingston County EMS transported to driver to Hedrick Medical Center. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

LIVINGSTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Sunday in Livingston County. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Kia 4K driven by a 20-year-old Plattsmouth, Nebraska man was westbound on U.S. 36 approximately three miles north of Ludlow. The driver lost control of the vehicle as he attempted to pass a semi.&nbsp; The car struck a MODOT sign and traveled off the west side of the road.Livingston County EMS transported to driver to Hedrick Medical Center. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Driver hospitalized after car strikes MODOT sign

BUCHANAN COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 4p.m. Saturday in Buchanan County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2025 International Straight Truck driven by a 38-year-old Westport, Washington man was northbound on Interstate 29 one mile south of Faucett. The truck crossed the center line, traveled off the west side of the road, returned to the road, crossed the center line again, traveled off the east side of the road, started to skid and overturned.

Buchanan County EMS transported the driver to Mosaic Life Care. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

BUCHANAN COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 4p.m. Saturday in Buchanan County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2025 International Straight Truck driven by a 38-year-old Westport, Washington man was northbound on Interstate 29 one mile south of Faucett. The truck crossed the center line, traveled off the west side of the road, returned to the road, crossed the center line again, traveled off the east side of the road, started to skid and overturned.Buchanan County EMS transported the driver to Mosaic Life Care. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Driver hospitalized in St. Joe after truck overturns

With more than 6,000 open food service job listings and no coordinated plan to address staffing, Kansas City restaurant leaders worry they won’t be ready for the massive influx of World Cup visitors in 2026

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/thomaswhite/">Thomas White</a>

It’s a good idea to make dinner reservations for parties of more than six people. It allows the restaurant to be staffed and prepared for larger-than-usual groups.

Well, FIFA has made a reservation for up to 650,000 visitors to Kansas City for the six World Cup matches played at Arrowhead Stadium in 2026.

As&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/sports/2025-09-09/kansas-city-world-cup-tickets-sale-buy-fifa-kc-2026-soccer-football" target="_blank">ticket sales begin</a>&nbsp;— including four group-stage matches, one round of 32 match and one quarterfinal match hosted in KC — some restaurant leaders are nervous that the area’s hospitality industry isn’t ready for the flood of guests that the World Cup will bring.

“I fear for Kansas City a year from now,” said Jenn Tosatto, beverage director for Penny’s Restaurant Group. “We’ve worked really hard to show that we aren’t just a flyover city and that we have things to offer in our food and beverage scene. But we’re not at our strongest right now.”

Chef Shanita McAfee-Bryant, founder of The Prospect KC, a hospitality workforce development nonprofit, also is worried. She points to the job listing site Indeed, which currently shows more than 6,000&nbsp;<a href="https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=food+service&amp;l=Kansas+City%2C+MO&amp;radius=25&amp;from=searchOnDesktopSerp&amp;vjk=efb4275ee2ca79da" target="_blank">food service job openings</a>, as a cause for concern.

“We have a shortage of 6,000 jobs,” said McAfee-Bryant with the first World Cup match less than a year away. “So how prepared do you think that is? Not prepared at all.”

According to the Mid-America Regional Council, the area’s food service industry employment never fully recovered from COVID. The area is still roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marc.org/economy-housing/workforce-development/regional-occupation-report" target="_blank">1,100 jobs short</a>&nbsp;of the pre-pandemic employment level. Bureau of Labor Statistics data also shows that the larger hospitality and leisure sector in the KC area has&nbsp;<a href="https://data.bls.gov/pdq/SurveyOutputServlet" target="_blank">shed thousands of jobs</a>&nbsp;each month this year when compared to 2024.

McAfee-Bryant said those numbers mean that if the World Cup started today, Kansas City would be caught short-staffed.

“I know that the city is going to see a surge in demand for hospitality talent,” said McAfee-Bryant. “So what’s the plan to make sure that Kansas Citians reap the benefit of that surge?”

Despite&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/06/19/is-kansas-city-world-cup-ready-2026/" target="_blank">regional cooperation</a>&nbsp;to address transportation, infrastructure, public safety and small-business readiness ahead of the World Cup, there’s currently no formal citywide or regional plan to address a potential boom in demand for hospitality workers.

“I really worry that we’re not going to put our best face forward when the entire world is watching, and that’s scary,” Tosatto said.

The World Cup dwarfs every major event Kansas City has hosted.

The 2026 World Cup is expected to be the largest sporting event in history with an expanded field of 48 countries playing 104 matches in 16 host cities sprinkled across North America. Each match captures Super Bowl-level television ratings worldwide.

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/03/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-establishes-white-house-task-force-on-the-fifa-world-cup-2026/" target="_blank">The White House said</a>&nbsp;that each of the 16 host cities will see an influx of at least 450,000 visitors and a net potential economic impact of $480 million on average.

A spokesman for&nbsp;<a href="https://kansascityfwc26.com/" target="_blank">KC2026</a>, the regional nonprofit group in charge of area World Cup preparations, said that 650,000 visitors are expected across Kansas and Missouri with a projected economic impact of $650 million.

For comparison, the Big 12 Basketball Tournament brings roughly 100,000 ticketholders to downtown for two weeks and generates $23 million to $33.5 million annually.

Using KC2026’s figures, hosting the World Cup is like having nearly seven Big 12 tournaments at once — and it lasts nearly three times as long.

The closest example in Kansas City is the 2023 NFL Draft, which brought an estimated 302,000 visitors to a concentrated area of the city over three days. The World Cup matches are expected to bring more than twice that amount to the region over the tournament’s 39 days.

The 2023 NFL Draft was viewed by some in the local restaurant scene&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/article274923706.html" target="_blank">as a dud</a>&nbsp;that failed to live up to expectations for their businesses. Some fear that restaurant owners will hear the World Cup hype and dismiss it, anticipating a repeat of the draft experience.

“We were very — very times a thousand — very, disappointed in our city and how the draft was communicated and marketed to our restaurants,” said Trey Meyers, director of marketing and communications with the Missouri Restaurant Association. “They were lied to, and we were very upset, disappointed, and we raised hell about that.”

He said that restaurants and vendors within the draft’s enclosed physical perimeters and immediate surrounding area saw a substantial boost in sales, but that not all the restaurants in the area saw the increased business that they were promised.

“We’re not going to have that same problem with the World Cup,” said Meyers.

Meyers said his trade group, which represents 12,000 restaurants in the region, has been in communication with City Council members, tourism bureaus and the sports commission. A KC2026 spokesman referred questions around hospitality readiness to the Greater Kansas City Chapter of the Missouri Restaurant Association and Meyers. A spokesman for Kansas City, Missouri, did not respond for comment.

Meyers said a softening labor market may help resolve the staffing issue heading into the World Cup. He has observed staff reductions and an abundance of applications. Anecdotally, he said that one recently opened restaurant in Olathe, Kansas, saw 92 applications for their staff positions.

“I’d say we aren’t in a hospitality worker shortage,” Meyers said. “I’d say quite the opposite.”

He doesn’t dispute the government statistics or Indeed numbers but offers a different perspective. He said that due to high staff turnover rates in the industry, many employers don’t remove job listings because they are always looking for workers. He also said that the restaurant industry may never fully recover from pandemic job losses. He blames recent staff layoffs on a litany of issues including crime, inflation, third-party delivery charges and other increased operating costs.

“We’ve been having a massive staff overage because of all the layoffs from other industries,”&nbsp; Meyers said. “Everyone defaults to the hospitality industry just to make ends meet and we’ve always seen ourselves as an industry of opportunity.”

The job market here and across the country is beginning to soften. The Kansas City area unemployment rate, which was just 2.5% in May 2022, crept up to 4% in July 2025. In the same month, the number of job seekers outnumbered job listings nationwide for the first time since April 2021.

Restaurateurs who are worried about the World Cup staffing are fretting about the quality, not just the quantity of workers.

“I am getting a huge percentage of applications coming in from people who have never worked in the industry before at all,” Tosatto said. “We don’t just need to get a body in the building, we need someone with skills, ready to go, that can come in and get going. Those people just really aren’t out there right now.”

Demand for workers will rise no matter what

Regardless of whether area restaurants are over- or understaffed today,&nbsp; demand for service industry workers will increase ahead of the World Cup.

Missouri passed legislation allowing businesses to serve alcohol nearly 24/7 during the tournament. Extended hours mean extended staffing needs. Further, Kansas City’s population is 506,032, meaning that if projections are correct, more than a second city full of visitors will swarm the area for more than a month.

Meyers said the exact number of visitors can’t really be estimated until we figure out who’s coming to town when the World Cup draws matchups at random in December.

“It really depends on who’s coming here and who we are catering to,” said Meyers. “If we land a group of major soccer nations like England, Brazil, France and the Netherlands, we’re probably looking at close to a million people here over the 40 days.”

McAfee-Bryant said the situation may seem intimidating but it also presents an opportunity. She sees the World Cup as Kansas City’s chance to lift vulnerable residents out of poverty permanently.

“This is an opportunity for Kansas City to intentionally build a more diverse hospitality workforce,” she said. “There’s a lot of people who could really use this uptick in commerce and additional funds in their pocket to get on the path towards economic mobility.”

Her organization, The Prospect KC, runs a 16-week training program combining food service skills with wraparound support services to bring people in the urban core out of chronic poverty and into a more stable hospitality career. The nonprofit operates a community kitchen at 750 The Paseo and a coffee shop in Kansas City’s Central Library that offer on-the-job training.

McAfee-Bryant wants to see community-based recruitment in neighborhoods with high unemployment, taking opportunities directly to residents most affected by unemployment and poverty.

“The city has used the World Cup to attract funding for a lot of other things in the city,” said McAfee-Bryant. “So why can’t we use the same World Cup to attract funding and support to help the city strengthen its workforce development pipeline?”

McAfee-Bryant said her organization has limited space and could only train 100 people at a time. She envisions a group of nonprofits, governments, hotels, restaurants, large employers and hiring managers that come together to coordinate a plan to get at least 1,000 workers trained, ready and secure in a new career.

“It’s not something that one organization could take on all alone,” she said. “Everyone is going to have to come to the table to figure it out.”

While larger hotel and restaurant chains can bring in workers from other cities, McAfee-Bryant and Tosatto would like to see local long-term skilled hospitality workers come out of the World Cup.

Mike Burris, the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association’s executive director, tends to agree. He acknowledges World Cup staffing concerns but emphasizes quality over quantity of hospitality jobs going forward.

“I want to make sure that when we put people into the industry that we’re not looking for temporary help, but we’re looking for long-term help,” said Burris. “That’s always been an issue in the restaurant business.”

Boosters say the World Cup represents Kansas City’s chance to cement its status as a destination for more international events. The city has invested heavily in preparations like infrastructure and logistics.

But McAfee-Bryant said if the area doesn’t address the supply of hospitality workers, the World Cup in Kansas City will be like a beautiful wedding that has slow service and gross food.

“Poor hospitality is the thing that will ruin this experience for everybody,” McAfee-Bryant said.

The clock is ticking. Kansas City has less than a year to prepare for the biggest food service industry challenge in its history. The reservation for 650,000 is confirmed.

The world will be watching next summer. Visitors to the area will talk about their experience for years. Their reviews could influence Kansas City’s reputation — and its future as a host city — for decades to come.

“What do you think all the people are going to talk about?” McAfee-Bryant asks.

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/09/10/kansas-citys-hospitality-industry-braces-for-world-cup/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757799785542.png" alt="Soccer fans react to the official FIFA World Cup host city announcement on Thursday, June 16, 2022, at the Kansas City Power and Light District in Kansas City (Zachary Linhares/The Beacon)." />
 <figcaption>Soccer fans react to the official FIFA World Cup host city announcement on Thursday, June 16, 2022, at the Kansas City Power and Light District in Kansas City (Zachary Linhares/The Beacon).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>With more than 6,000 open food service job listings and no coordinated plan to address staffing, Kansas City restaurant leaders worry they won’t be ready for the massive influx of World Cup visitors in 2026</h2>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/thomaswhite/">Thomas White</a>It’s a good idea to make dinner reservations for parties of more than six people. It allows the restaurant to be staffed and prepared for larger-than-usual groups.Well, FIFA has made a reservation for up to 650,000 visitors to Kansas City for the six World Cup matches played at Arrowhead Stadium in 2026.As&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/sports/2025-09-09/kansas-city-world-cup-tickets-sale-buy-fifa-kc-2026-soccer-football" target="_blank">ticket sales begin</a>&nbsp;— including four group-stage matches, one round of 32 match and one quarterfinal match hosted in KC — some restaurant leaders are nervous that the area’s hospitality industry isn’t ready for the flood of guests that the World Cup will bring.“I fear for Kansas City a year from now,” said Jenn Tosatto, beverage director for Penny’s Restaurant Group. “We’ve worked really hard to show that we aren’t just a flyover city and that we have things to offer in our food and beverage scene. But we’re not at our strongest right now.”Chef Shanita McAfee-Bryant, founder of The Prospect KC, a hospitality workforce development nonprofit, also is worried. She points to the job listing site Indeed, which currently shows more than 6,000&nbsp;<a href="https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=food+service&amp;l=Kansas+City%2C+MO&amp;radius=25&amp;from=searchOnDesktopSerp&amp;vjk=efb4275ee2ca79da" target="_blank">food service job openings</a>, as a cause for concern.“We have a shortage of 6,000 jobs,” said McAfee-Bryant with the first World Cup match less than a year away. “So how prepared do you think that is? Not prepared at all.”According to the Mid-America Regional Council, the area’s food service industry employment never fully recovered from COVID. The area is still roughly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marc.org/economy-housing/workforce-development/regional-occupation-report" target="_blank">1,100 jobs short</a>&nbsp;of the pre-pandemic employment level. Bureau of Labor Statistics data also shows that the larger hospitality and leisure sector in the KC area has&nbsp;<a href="https://data.bls.gov/pdq/SurveyOutputServlet" target="_blank">shed thousands of jobs</a>&nbsp;each month this year when compared to 2024.McAfee-Bryant said those numbers mean that if the World Cup started today, Kansas City would be caught short-staffed.“I know that the city is going to see a surge in demand for hospitality talent,” said McAfee-Bryant. “So what’s the plan to make sure that Kansas Citians reap the benefit of that surge?”Despite&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/06/19/is-kansas-city-world-cup-ready-2026/" target="_blank">regional cooperation</a>&nbsp;to address transportation, infrastructure, public safety and small-business readiness ahead of the World Cup, there’s currently no formal citywide or regional plan to address a potential boom in demand for hospitality workers.“I really worry that we’re not going to put our best face forward when the entire world is watching, and that’s scary,” Tosatto said.<h2>Scale of the World Cup challenge</h2>The World Cup dwarfs every major event Kansas City has hosted.The 2026 World Cup is expected to be the largest sporting event in history with an expanded field of 48 countries playing 104 matches in 16 host cities sprinkled across North America. Each match captures Super Bowl-level television ratings worldwide.<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/03/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-establishes-white-house-task-force-on-the-fifa-world-cup-2026/" target="_blank">The White House said</a>&nbsp;that each of the 16 host cities will see an influx of at least 450,000 visitors and a net potential economic impact of $480 million on average.A spokesman for&nbsp;<a href="https://kansascityfwc26.com/" target="_blank">KC2026</a>, the regional nonprofit group in charge of area World Cup preparations, said that 650,000 visitors are expected across Kansas and Missouri with a projected economic impact of $650 million.For comparison, the Big 12 Basketball Tournament brings roughly 100,000 ticketholders to downtown for two weeks and generates $23 million to $33.5 million annually.Using KC2026’s figures, hosting the World Cup is like having nearly seven Big 12 tournaments at once — and it lasts nearly three times as long.The closest example in Kansas City is the 2023 NFL Draft, which brought an estimated 302,000 visitors to a concentrated area of the city over three days. The World Cup matches are expected to bring more than twice that amount to the region over the tournament’s 39 days.<h2>Learning from the past</h2>The 2023 NFL Draft was viewed by some in the local restaurant scene&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/article274923706.html" target="_blank">as a dud</a>&nbsp;that failed to live up to expectations for their businesses. Some fear that restaurant owners will hear the World Cup hype and dismiss it, anticipating a repeat of the draft experience.“We were very — very times a thousand — very, disappointed in our city and how the draft was communicated and marketed to our restaurants,” said Trey Meyers, director of marketing and communications with the Missouri Restaurant Association. “They were lied to, and we were very upset, disappointed, and we raised hell about that.”He said that restaurants and vendors within the draft’s enclosed physical perimeters and immediate surrounding area saw a substantial boost in sales, but that not all the restaurants in the area saw the increased business that they were promised.“We’re not going to have that same problem with the World Cup,” said Meyers.Meyers said his trade group, which represents 12,000 restaurants in the region, has been in communication with City Council members, tourism bureaus and the sports commission. A KC2026 spokesman referred questions around hospitality readiness to the Greater Kansas City Chapter of the Missouri Restaurant Association and Meyers. A spokesman for Kansas City, Missouri, did not respond for comment.<h2>Rising unemployment&nbsp;</h2>Meyers said a softening labor market may help resolve the staffing issue heading into the World Cup. He has observed staff reductions and an abundance of applications. Anecdotally, he said that one recently opened restaurant in Olathe, Kansas, saw 92 applications for their staff positions.“I’d say we aren’t in a hospitality worker shortage,” Meyers said. “I’d say quite the opposite.”He doesn’t dispute the government statistics or Indeed numbers but offers a different perspective. He said that due to high staff turnover rates in the industry, many employers don’t remove job listings because they are always looking for workers. He also said that the restaurant industry may never fully recover from pandemic job losses. He blames recent staff layoffs on a litany of issues including crime, inflation, third-party delivery charges and other increased operating costs.“We’ve been having a massive staff overage because of all the layoffs from other industries,”&nbsp; Meyers said. “Everyone defaults to the hospitality industry just to make ends meet and we’ve always seen ourselves as an industry of opportunity.”The job market here and across the country is beginning to soften. The Kansas City area unemployment rate, which was just 2.5% in May 2022, crept up to 4% in July 2025. In the same month, the number of job seekers outnumbered job listings nationwide for the first time since April 2021.Restaurateurs who are worried about the World Cup staffing are fretting about the quality, not just the quantity of workers.“I am getting a huge percentage of applications coming in from people who have never worked in the industry before at all,” Tosatto said. “We don’t just need to get a body in the building, we need someone with skills, ready to go, that can come in and get going. Those people just really aren’t out there right now.”<h2>Demand for workers will rise no matter what</h2>Regardless of whether area restaurants are over- or understaffed today,&nbsp; demand for service industry workers will increase ahead of the World Cup.Missouri passed legislation allowing businesses to serve alcohol nearly 24/7 during the tournament. Extended hours mean extended staffing needs. Further, Kansas City’s population is 506,032, meaning that if projections are correct, more than a second city full of visitors will swarm the area for more than a month.Meyers said the exact number of visitors can’t really be estimated until we figure out who’s coming to town when the World Cup draws matchups at random in December.“It really depends on who’s coming here and who we are catering to,” said Meyers. “If we land a group of major soccer nations like England, Brazil, France and the Netherlands, we’re probably looking at close to a million people here over the 40 days.”<h2>Opportunity meets economic mobility</h2>McAfee-Bryant said the situation may seem intimidating but it also presents an opportunity. She sees the World Cup as Kansas City’s chance to lift vulnerable residents out of poverty permanently.“This is an opportunity for Kansas City to intentionally build a more diverse hospitality workforce,” she said. “There’s a lot of people who could really use this uptick in commerce and additional funds in their pocket to get on the path towards economic mobility.”Her organization, The Prospect KC, runs a 16-week training program combining food service skills with wraparound support services to bring people in the urban core out of chronic poverty and into a more stable hospitality career. The nonprofit operates a community kitchen at 750 The Paseo and a coffee shop in Kansas City’s Central Library that offer on-the-job training.McAfee-Bryant wants to see community-based recruitment in neighborhoods with high unemployment, taking opportunities directly to residents most affected by unemployment and poverty.“The city has used the World Cup to attract funding for a lot of other things in the city,” said McAfee-Bryant. “So why can’t we use the same World Cup to attract funding and support to help the city strengthen its workforce development pipeline?”McAfee-Bryant said her organization has limited space and could only train 100 people at a time. She envisions a group of nonprofits, governments, hotels, restaurants, large employers and hiring managers that come together to coordinate a plan to get at least 1,000 workers trained, ready and secure in a new career.“It’s not something that one organization could take on all alone,” she said. “Everyone is going to have to come to the table to figure it out.”While larger hotel and restaurant chains can bring in workers from other cities, McAfee-Bryant and Tosatto would like to see local long-term skilled hospitality workers come out of the World Cup.Mike Burris, the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association’s executive director, tends to agree. He acknowledges World Cup staffing concerns but emphasizes quality over quantity of hospitality jobs going forward.“I want to make sure that when we put people into the industry that we’re not looking for temporary help, but we’re looking for long-term help,” said Burris. “That’s always been an issue in the restaurant business.”<h2>KC’s reputation at stake</h2>Boosters say the World Cup represents Kansas City’s chance to cement its status as a destination for more international events. The city has invested heavily in preparations like infrastructure and logistics.But McAfee-Bryant said if the area doesn’t address the supply of hospitality workers, the World Cup in Kansas City will be like a beautiful wedding that has slow service and gross food.“Poor hospitality is the thing that will ruin this experience for everybody,” McAfee-Bryant said.The clock is ticking. Kansas City has less than a year to prepare for the biggest food service industry challenge in its history. The reservation for 650,000 is confirmed.The world will be watching next summer. Visitors to the area will talk about their experience for years. Their reviews could influence Kansas City’s reputation — and its future as a host city — for decades to come.“What do you think all the people are going to talk about?” McAfee-Bryant asks.This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/09/10/kansas-citys-hospitality-industry-braces-for-world-cup/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.<figure>
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Reservation for 650,000: KC's hospitality industry braces for World Cup workforce scramble

DAVIESS COUNTY—Six. people were injured in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Friday in Daviess County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2018 GMC Sierra driven by a 45-year-old Gallatin man was stopped at the stop sign on Route CC at MO 6 two miles west of Gallatin. The driver pulled the pickup into the path of an eastbound 2014 Ford Fusion driven by a 24-year-old Kansas City, Mo. man. The car struck the drivers side of the pickup.

Life Flight transported the pickup driver to Truman Medical Center and one woman and in the pickup and one in the car to Liberty Hospital.

Davies County EMS transported a 21-year-old female passenger in the pickup and two 1-year-old children from the car to Liberty Hospital. The driver of the car was not injured.&nbsp; All were properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

DAVIESS COUNTY—Six. people were injured in an accident just before 2:30p.m. Friday in Daviess County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2018 GMC Sierra driven by a 45-year-old Gallatin man was stopped at the stop sign on Route CC at MO 6 two miles west of Gallatin. The driver pulled the pickup into the path of an eastbound 2014 Ford Fusion driven by a 24-year-old Kansas City, Mo. man. The car struck the drivers side of the pickup.Life Flight transported the pickup driver to Truman Medical Center and one woman and in the pickup and one in the car to Liberty Hospital.Davies County EMS transported a 21-year-old female passenger in the pickup and two 1-year-old children from the car to Liberty Hospital. The driver of the car was not injured.&nbsp; All were properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

4 adults and 2 children injured in car, pickup crash

CLINTON COUNTY —The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control (DDCC) announce the arrest of Robert C. Cox, 55, of Lathrop, Missouri, for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, according to a media release. 

Cox’s arrest was the result of a narcotics investigation conducted by members of DDCC’s Narcotics/Vice Unit. The Patrol was assisted by the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office and the Northwest Missouri Drug Taskforce.

On September 10, 2025 Troopers and Deputies executed a search warrant at Cox’s home, in Lathrop. Once inside the residence, officers searched the premises and located evidence related to drug activity, including a white powdery substance and a loaded handgun. 

A presumptive test of the powdery substances was conducted, identifying the drugs as methamphetamine. Cox was arrested prior to executing the search warrant and placed on an investigative hold.

On September 11, 2025, the Clinton County Prosecuting Attorney formally charged Cox with one count of felony Possession of a Controlled Substance and one count of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon. 

He is being held at the Clinton County Jail without bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/9/1757715338078.png" alt="Cox photo Clinton County" />
 <figcaption>Cox photo Clinton County</figcaption>
 </figure>CLINTON COUNTY —The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control (DDCC) announce the arrest of Robert C. Cox, 55, of Lathrop, Missouri, for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, according to a media release. Cox’s arrest was the result of a narcotics investigation conducted by members of DDCC’s Narcotics/Vice Unit. The Patrol was assisted by the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office and the Northwest Missouri Drug Taskforce.On September 10, 2025 Troopers and Deputies executed a search warrant at Cox’s home, in Lathrop. Once inside the residence, officers searched the premises and located evidence related to drug activity, including a white powdery substance and a loaded handgun. A presumptive test of the powdery substances was conducted, identifying the drugs as methamphetamine. Cox was arrested prior to executing the search warrant and placed on an investigative hold.On September 11, 2025, the Clinton County Prosecuting Attorney formally charged Cox with one count of felony Possession of a Controlled Substance and one count of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon. He is being held at the Clinton County Jail without bond.

Suspect jailed after drug bust at Missouri home

Saturday will be a chance for the dogs to get into the pool in Savannah, all benefitting a new aquatics facility.&nbsp;

The Andrew County Aquatics Initiative is partnering with Fantastic Fido to host Dog Day at the Pool tomorrow from 10AM until Noon at the Savannah Aquatic Center.&nbsp; Following the success of their Splash Bash last weekend, this second fundraiser for ACAI will give dogs s a chance for a dip in the pool before the permanent closure of the facility at the end of this summer.

Each dog must be accompanied by at least one handler. This is a dog-only swim, no people will be allowed in the pool. Thirty-minute sessions are available and space is limited to 15 dogs per session. A minimum donation of $10 per dog is requested. 

The public is invited to the event. All donations are in support of building a new pool in Andrew County with a mission to preserve and reimagine a vital aquatic amenity for future generations.

You can register for the event by visiting the Andrew County Aquatics Initiative Facebook page.&nbsp;&nbsp;

By MATT PIKESaturday will be a chance for the dogs to get into the pool in Savannah, all benefitting a new aquatics facility.&nbsp;The Andrew County Aquatics Initiative is partnering with Fantastic Fido to host Dog Day at the Pool tomorrow from 10AM until Noon at the Savannah Aquatic Center.&nbsp; Following the success of their Splash Bash last weekend, this second fundraiser for ACAI will give dogs s a chance for a dip in the pool before the permanent closure of the facility at the end of this summer.Each dog must be accompanied by at least one handler. This is a dog-only swim, no people will be allowed in the pool. Thirty-minute sessions are available and space is limited to 15 dogs per session. A minimum donation of $10 per dog is requested. The public is invited to the event. All donations are in support of building a new pool in Andrew County with a mission to preserve and reimagine a vital aquatic amenity for future generations.You can register for the event by visiting the Andrew County Aquatics Initiative Facebook page.&nbsp;&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;