Jefferson City

The biggest plan for expanding the Capitol Building since its construction is still a draft, derailed prior to an approval vote last week over suspicion that Gov. Mike Parson’s administration was moving too fast on a deal for the Missouri Department of Transportation headquarters.

Since 2019, the Missouri State Capitol Commission has been working toward final approval of a plan to construct a 145,000 square foot building below ground level on the south side of the Capitol Building in Jefferson City . It would provide space for legislative hearing rooms and staff offices.

Over the past two years, lawmakers have set aside $600 million from record surpluses to finance the project. And on Thursday, the nine-member commission that includes lawmakers, legislative staff, gubernatorial appointees and the Commissioner of Administration, plus Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe as an ex officio member, was scheduled to vote on a resolution that would launch the project and hire an overseer called an owner’s representative.

The vote was at first delayed, then a new resolution omitting references to the master plan was approved after House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, a commission member, said he was upset that negotiations over the MoDOT building were underway.

“If anyone is moving forward with the purchase, I would consider that to be like a willful defiance of legislative intent and I certainly hope that that’s not the case,” Smith said.

Converting the MoDOT building, which is just steps from the east basement entrance of the Capitol, for use as legislative and executive offices has been discussed for several years. Last year, Parson asked lawmakers to appropriate $44 million for the purchase. That item was removed from the budget by Smith and never restored. 

Lawmakers did, however, appropriate $50 million from commission funds for “planning, design, construction, acquisition, maintenance, and repairs of the State Capitol Complex.”

In the fall the Office of Administration and MoDOT discussed using that money for the purchase, with the transportation department presenting a proposed sales contract. When he heard about the negotiations, Smith said, he met with the administrative agency’s counsel and Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden to object.

“The intention there was to send that to the Capitol Commission for later contemplation about exactly how that was spent, but under no circumstances was that an authorization to purchase the MoDOT building without that contemplation,” Smith said.

Other lawmakers on the commission, and some recently appointed members, said they were also caught off-guard by a November report in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that negotiations were underway on the building.

“I feel like we have an elephant attached to the back of this project that no one was anticipating,” said state Sen. Greg Razer, a Kansas City Democrat.

There were talks with MoDOT about a purchase but that is as far as it went, Commissioner of Administration Ken Zellers said.

“There was a contract drafted by MoDOT that was presented to our legal counsel, and that was rejected,” Zellers said.

The funding and ownership of the building is in question, plus the cost of renovations and repairs and that is being investigated, Zellers said.

The oldest part of the MoDOT building was completed in 1928, to move what was then the Missouri State Highway Department moved out of cramped quarters in the Capitol. According to the 1929 Official Manual of Missouri, the state road fund paid for the land, construction and furnishings. 

Built and furnished at a cost of $348,250, it was designed by an architect from the firm that planned the Capitol and built with stone intended to harmonize with its appearance.

The building has been expanded twice since it was initially constructed. 

If the MoDOT building becomes space available for legislative or executive use, Smith said, it alters both the funds available for other aspects of the project and the amount of additional space needed.

“This was intended to be a discussion amongst this group, these commissioners, and I think there are a lot of big things we need to talk about before that purchase is made,” Smith said.

A drawing showing where construction would expand the Missouri Capitol Building under a master plan prepared in 2019 for the Missouri State Capitol Commission (Image from plan prepared by MOCA Systems Inc.).

The last major renovation of the Capitol Building took place in the 1980s as executive officers moved to the Truman State Office Building and the James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center. Every legislator has a private office but many are not much larger than a walk-in closet. Dozens are not accessible to people with mobility issues.

The master plan calls for digging up the south lawn and covering the new building over. There would be a skylight to allow natural light to enter, but when work was completed, the lawn, with its fountains and expanses of grass, would be replaced.

Other elements of the plan call for a complete renovation of the Capitol basement to provide 78 offices for members of the Missouri House and a new parking garage to replace one built in the 1960s.

Originally projected to cost $521 million, a new estimate completed last year pegged the current cost at $755 million.

Building the Capitol cost about $3 million starting in 1912, approximately $95 million today. A $55 million project to restore the exterior stonework was completed in 2022.

During the meeting, permanent legislative staff asked for the commission to approve at least hiring the owner’s representative.

Senate Administrator Patrick Baker, commission chairman, said the representative would consider whether a new or revised master plan is needed. And House Chief Clerk Dana Miller said delay would be an opportunity lost.

“I’ve just sat through many discussions about master plans and and they’ve come and they’ve gone and at the end of the day, I would just like to see us be able to move forward,” she said.

The vote for the revised resolution was unanimous and, with legislators in session and budget hearings underway, how far negotiations went on the MoDOT building are likely to be aired thoroughly.

“Obviously it’s news to the commissioners that there was some movement on purchase of the MoDOT building,” Baker said after the meeting. “I think that was unexpected for most of the commissioners.”

Originally Appeared Here

The Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Five Missouri state offices, including the governor’s seat, are up for grabs in the general election this November.

Mike Parson inherited the Missouri governor’s seat after Eric Greitens resigned in 2018. Parson finished up that term and was elected to another full term in 2020. He is no longer eligible to run again, setting the stage for a new governor in 2025.

Missouri’s gubernatorial election is set for Nov. 5, 2024. Candidates must file paperwork for a run for governor by March 26. The primary elections, to choose one candidate from each party, are set for Aug. 6.

Heading into the new year, FOX 2 has learned of at least eight people who plan to run for the Missouri governor’s office. That includes four Republican candidates, three Democratic candidates, and one Independent Party candidate.

Republican candidates

• Jay Ashcroft, currently serving as the Missouri Secretary of State.
• Mike Kehoe, currently serving as the Missouri Lieutenant Governor.
• Bill Eigel, a Missouri State Senator from St. Charles County.
• Chris Wright, an army veteran and National Guardsman based out of Joplin.

Jay Ashcroft is the son of former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. He also has experience as an engineer and an attorney.

Mike Kehoe became lieutenant governor in 2018 after Parson was appointed governor. He brings seven years of experience in the Missouri Senate, three as a majority leader.

Bill Eigel is a U.S. Air Force veteran who has served as a state senator since 2017.

Chris Wright does not have any previous political experience in Missouri.

Democrat candidates

• Crystal Quade, currently serving as the Missouri House Minority Leader.
• Mike Hamra, an entrepreneur based out of Springfield.
• Sheryl Gladney, a councilwoman from Breckenridge Hills.

Crystal Quade has served with the Missouri House since 2016 and as the minority leader since 2019. She has also served on the state’s budget committee for several years.

Mike Hamara is the President and CEO of Hamra Enterprises. He does not have any previous political experience in Missouri.

Sheryl Gladney represents Ward 4 of Breckenridge Hills. She has reportedly filed paperwork for office, but has not yet formally announced her run.

Independent candidate

• Larry Flenoid II, a politician based out of Springfield.

Larry Flenoid II previously campaigned for a Missouri House seat in 2022. He is the lone independent candidate to date.

Also of note

Poll projections released by research group Show Me Victories in November show Ashcroft and Kehoe almost even in support within the Republican ticket and Quade with a firm lead of support within the Democratic ticket.

The Missouri Governor’s Office has been run by Republican leadership since 2017, though it’s been split nearly half-and-half between the GOP and Democratic party since 2017.

Originally Appeared Here

Capital Sand Company was incorporated in Jefferson City, Mo., on August 8, 1973. On August 9, 2023, the company celebrated its 50th anniversary with luncheons for employees at all of its plants and a ribbon cutting with the Jefferson City Chamber of Commerce.

In the past 50 years, CSC went from a single location to multiple locations in multiple states, employing 2,000 people, and has grown into the largest sand producer on the Missouri River.

Family Involvement

Purchasing its own dredge equipment in 1974 was an early milestone in Capital Sand’s growth.

CSC was started in 1973 by Mike Farmer. After graduating from college at the University of Missouri, he worked for about a year in another industry. Then his father, Elliott Farmer Sr., told him that Jefferson City needed another sand supplier. Elliott Sr. was in the ready-mix concrete and asphalt business and had an ownership interest in Farmer’s Concrete, Cole County Industries, Jefferson Asphalt in Jefferson City and Eldon Concrete.

Over the years, Elliott Sr. advised Mike and his brother, Elliott (Bud) Farmer Jr., in business decisions. Mike purchased a loader and a set of scales and had a neighboring sand company, Callaway County Sand, dredge sand for him to sell. Bud was a partner with him in CSC but did not initially work in the company.

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In 2023, seven family members from three generations work in the businesses through Farmer Holding Company, owned by Mike and Bud Farmer.

Like CSC’s growth over these past 50 years, Farmer Holding Company has evolved from a single sand operation to being vertically integrated with sand and gravel, limestone quarries, ready-mix concrete plants, asphalt plants and laydown crews, bridge construction, excavation, frac sand operations and terminals and real estate investments.

Employees Are Key

Operations manager Jason Branstetter started with CSC in 1997 and has been with the company for 26 years. In his time at CSC, he has watched the company grow and expand. “When I started with them, CSC had six sand plants, three dredges and four towing vessels on the Missouri River; one sand and gravel plant and dredge on the Osage River; and the Jefferson City River Terminal, which consists of a Portland Cement terminal and a linehaul towboat,” he told The Waterways Journal.

Branstetter’s primary mentor was Ray Bohlken, a long-time manager of CSC. “I worked for him about 19 years until he retired,” Branstetter said. “Tim Gibler and Greg Braun, who have worked for CSC several years more than me, have taught me many things over the years regarding how our equipment, dredges and boats function.”

“A key part of the growth of CSC is our employees,” Branstetter said. “In the early days, our equipment was used and required constant maintenance. Our employees put in the effort, hard work and a lot of hours to keep things operational so we could provide sand and gravel to our customers. In 2023, we are fortunate to have newer and better-quality equipment, but our employees’ work ethic and knowledge are still key to the day-to-day operations and the growth of CSC.”

River Fleet Grows

In 1974, when CSC bought Jefferson City Sand Company, it acquired its first river equipment, consisting of a dredge, barges and the mv. Anna Marie, which the company stopped using in 1982.

“Early key successes were purchasing our own dredge, towboat and river equipment, then hiring quality employees who had knowledge in the industry,” Branstetter said. “As the business grew, we were to purchase more new equipment.”

Ready-mix concrete and asphalt companies were early customers. Today, CSC sells products to industries including golf courses, sports field projects, landfills and drainage projects.

“Over the years the fleet has seen many changes as towboats and dredges have come and gone,” Branstetter said. In 1979, CSC purchased the mv. Marge I new from Serodino; the company still operates it today. CSC’s most recent boat purchase was in 2023, when it purchased a used 900 hp. towboat with a shallow draft to use on the Missouri River due to the low water conditions. After the 2011 flood, CSC worked as a subcontractor to Newt Marine for several years, during which it provided a towboat and barges to move rock for dike repairs from Sioux City to central Missouri.

“We built new dredges in 2017 and 2020 that replaced two of our older dredges,” Branstetter said. Currently CSC operates five towboats in the sand operations and one towboat for Jefferson City River Terminal, ranging in size from 900 hp. to 3,600 hp.

The COVID-19 outbreak had minimal effects on the company’s business. “We were classified as an essential business, and we did not slow down during COVID,” Branstetter said. “Sales continued at a normal level. We implemented procedures to keep our employees safe and to minimize contact.”

In 2023, CSC has seven sand plants, three dredges and five towing vessels on the Missouri River (at Washington, Jefferson City, Rocheport, Boonville, Glasgow, Lexington and Missouri City); one sand and gravel plant and dredge on the Osage River; and the Jefferson City River Terminal.

CSC is constructing two new cement silos that will provide 6,000 tons of storage.

“This is a great improvement from the current two silos that hold 1,500 tons that were built in the 1980s,” Branstetter said. The company’s holdings include two inland pit sand and gravel locations in the Kansas City area and one sand and gravel plant near Harrisburg, Ark. Sand and gravel are excavated from the Crowley’s Ridge deposit.

While CSC did not directly do any work related to the dike repairs after the 2019 flood, its sister company, Capital Quarries, has supplied riprap in the central Missouri area, and that material has been loaded on barges from Capital Sand property. Capital Quarries has supplied 280,000 tons of rock to date for dike repairs, with another 400,000 tons to go. Due to low water in the Missouri River over the past three years, CSC has completed two emergency dredging contracts for the Corps of Engineers in 2020 near Mile 130 and in 2021 near Mile 185 at the Interstate 70 bridge.

Building The Future

As CSC looks to the future and lays the groundwork for another 50 years of growth, the labor shortage is a challenge for it, just as in other industries. “My greatest concern is finding the skilled employees that we need to operate our plants and river equipment over the next few years,” Branstetter said. “We are continuously looking for new avenues to advertise our job openings, especially when it comes to boat pilots. For boat pilots, we have advertised in The Waterways Journal, and this year we started utilizing RiverWorks Discovery. We also participate in technical school career fairs and Build My Future events for high school students as recruitment tools.”

Three years ago, the company started Capital Academy, a six-week-long academy for recent high school graduates who have made the decision to go straight into the work force. The academy teaches them the introductory skills to operate some heavy equipment and construction labor skills, and they receive OSHA 10 and MSHA New Miner training.

Originally Appeared Here

Main Street Iowa hosted the annual Main Street Iowa Development Awards celebration April 21 at Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in Des Moines. The program honors the efforts of those who work to revitalize Iowa’s downtowns and to make a difference in the state’s Main Street districts.

Jefferson Matters: A Main Street and Chamber Community received a pair of competitive state awards and special recognitions.

City View on State, located at 200 E. State St, won Best Main Street Building Rehabilitation Project for cities with population less than 5,000. The city of Jefferson and Jefferson City View Properties, LLC were partners.

The City View building at 200 E. State St received the Best Building Rehabilitation Award. Pictured are (from left) Michael Wagler, Matt Wetrich, building owners Tracy Deal and Chris Deal, property manager Bill Raney, and Debi Durham.

The Jefferson Wants You incentive and website (www.experiencejeffersoniowa.com) won Best Main Street Business Recruitment Project for cities with population less than 5,000. Jefferson Matters’ economic vitality team was the creator and driver of this project. Partners of the Jefferson Wants You incentive are Jefferson Telecom, Home State Bank, Heartland Bank, Peoples Bank, Alliant Energy, and Grow Greene Gaming Corporation.

The Jefferson Wants You incentive and website was recognized as Best Business Recruitment project. Pictured are (from left) Michael Wagler, Matt Wetrich, Jefferson Matters economic vitality team members Abby Aspengren, Peg Raney, Beth Vander Wilt, Amy Milligan and Jacque Andrew, Jefferson Matters president Jamie Daubendiek, and Debi Durham.

The 2022 Bell Tower Festival executive committee received a leadership award for their outstanding work with the festival.

Pictured (from left) are Michael Wagler, Main Street Iowa State Coordinator, Matt Wetrich, Jefferson city councilman and director of Jefferson Matters, Josh Dyer, committee chair Philip Heisterkamp, Bridgette Heisterkamp, Emily Erps, Emily Dyer, Shelby Wiggins, Tim Heisterkamp, Lyndsey Wathen, Tyler Wathen, Beth Vander Wilt; Chris Heisterkamp, and IEDA director Debi Durham

Jefferson was also recognized for surpassing a significant benchmark of $10 million in private dollars invested in the designated Main Street district since 2012. According to director Matt Wetrich, the actual total is closer to $11 million in private investments. Jefferson Matters had the largest contingent at the awards celebration, about 40 in all.

Celebrating $10 million in private investments in the Jefferson Main Street district.

Peg Raney received the Spirit of Main Street award. With her are Michael Wagler, her husband Bill Raney, and Debi Durham.

To cap the evening’s festivities off, Peg Raney was surprised with the 2023 Spirit of Main Street Award. The award reads “for truly demonstrating the Spirit of ‘Main Street at Work’ in Iowa through innovation, support and commitment to economic development within the context of historic preservation.”

Raney is past director of Jefferson Matters: Main Street and is very active in the organization, chairing the economic vitality team. She is the board president of Why Not Us?, the women’s investment group that rehabilitated the Centennial Block building after it was severely damage and now operates it as The Centennial tea room.

Debi Durham, executive director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and Iowa Finance Authority (IFA), and Michael Wagler, Main Street Iowa state coordinator, presented the honors.

“The Main Street Iowa program is a powerful economic development tool that has stood the test of time since its introduction in 1985,” Durham said. “We continue to see significant growth in businesses, jobs, and investment in communities of all sizes because of the program. As a result, these districts serve as inspiring examples of what’s possible for Iowa’s downtowns.”

“Main Street is grassroots economic development,” Wagler said. “It is inspiring to witness the impactful work of local Main Street program staff, volunteers, and community partners.”

In 1985, the Iowa Legislature adopted Main Street America’s Four Point Approach® to district revitalization by establishing Main Street Iowa within the agency that is now the IEDA. Since then, the Main Street Iowa program has had a significant impact on Iowa’s economy, including more than $2.6 billion in private investment, more than 3.7 million volunteer hours, more than 5,300 new businesses, and more than 16,000 jobs.

Originally Appeared Here

Lights, bands, floats and candy.

The 84th annual Jefferson City Jaycees Christmas Parade had it all, including Santa, elves and the Grinch.

Lauren Spratt, a 16-year-old junior at Blair Oaks High School, staked out a spot alongside High Street early. She was unrecognizable, being decked out in a Grinch costume she recently received.

“I got the costume and thought, ‘I’ll just go in it,'” she said.

She said she simply wanted to do something festive.

She added her favorite part of the parade is that thousands of Christmas lights adorn almost every float.

Karleigh Sneller, another 16-year-old Blair Oaks junior, accompanied Lauren. The girls have been best friends for 13 years, Karleigh said, and she admitted she let her friend down a little.

“I was supposed to be Cindy-Lou Who, but I did not put my hair up,” Karleigh said.

The parade, held during the first weekend of December, always tops a weekend of holiday activities for Jefferson City.

Bands competed in music and performance at the parade, and floats competed as well.

On a youth soccer team’s float, a boy held a sign for Santa. It read, “Santa, I can explain the red card.”

The entire Peanuts gang clustered on another float.

Blair Oaks’ state championship volleyball team road along the route on a float, followed by the school’s marching band.

Numerous nonprofits were featured on floats or by their buses. The Council for Drug Free Youth bus carried a warning — “You’ll shoot your eye out” — based on the movie “A Christmas Story.”

The Maker’s Dozen Band, out of Immanuel Lutheran Honey Creek, sat in what could only be described as a greenhouse on wheels and performed spiritual music as it passed.

Businesses — Cajun Catfish House, Stacy’s Designs, Mid-Mo Dog Training, Jefferson City Dental, among others — entered floats and vehicles in the parade.

Nine-year-old Peighton Wright was all business Saturday night, standing in a crowd that was about five people deep alongside High Street.

It didn’t hurt that people were throwing candy her way, but she was at the parade, “Mostly to see Santa … and the Grinch.”

Her 7-year-old brother, Bentlee Wright, could not contain himself. Looking a little strange, yet right at home, he had a light-up Rudolph nose.

“Holy moly, guacamole!” he yelled as a float went by.

Michael Taylor, 9, of St. Louis, said he basically traveled to Jefferson City by himself. Family said he fibbed — his grandmother brought him to town.

“The main reason (for the parade) is to display the things you made,” Michael said. “Usually, there’s someone that they’re celebrating.”

But there’s also candy.

    The Mouse King battles the Nutcracker on Dancer’s Alley entry in the Jaycees Christmas Parade. (Ken Barnes/News Tribune)
      Local Cub Scout, Scouts BSA, and Venturing units walk in the Jaycees Christmas Parade with a reminder that Scouting has been a part of Missouri Christmases since 1910. (Ken Barnes/News Tribune)
      The Class 3 Volleyball Champion Blair Oaks Lady Falcons ride in the Jaycees Christmas Parade Saturday. (Ken Barnes/News Tribune)
      Blair Oaks High School Marching Band marches in the Jaycees Christmas Parade Saturday. (Ken Barnes/News Tribune)
      Jefferson Bank’s Jaycees Christmas Parade entry highlights the iconic Christmas TV specials of the 60’s. (Ken Barnes/News Tribune)
      The Maker’s Dozen entertains parade goers with their excellent bluegrass music in the Jaycees Christmas Parade. (Ken Barnes/News Tribune)
      Lucy dares Charlie Brown to kick the ball on the All-n-One Outdoor Solutions entry in the Jaycees Christmas Parade. (Ken Barnes/News Tribune)
      Jefferson City and Capital City High School Bands combined to march in the Jaycees Christmas Parade Saturday. (Ken Barnes/News Tribune)
      Helias Marching Band marches in the annual Jaycees Christmas Parade. (Ken Barnes/News Tribune)
      Lincoln University’s Marching Musical Storm thrill parade goers with their signature percussive and brassy sound in the Jaycees Christmas Parade.
      The Jefferson City Community Symphonic Band performs from a flatbed Saturday in the Jaycees Christmas Parade. (Ken Barnes/News Tribune)
      No Christmas parade is complete with Santa Claus wishing everyone a Merry Christmas at the end of the Jaycees Christmas Parade. (Ken Barnes/News Tribune)
  

Originally Appeared Here

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down a law that threatened homeless people with jail time for sleeping on state land.

Judges ruled unanimously to toss the law for violating a section of the Missouri Constitution that prohibits legislation from containing multiple unrelated subjects.

In this case, the sweeping 64-page bill also dealt with city and county governance and banned COVID-19 vaccine requirements for public workers in Missouri.

Judges ruled that the law is “invalid in its entirety,” Judge Paul Wilson wrote in the court’s decision.

The judges’ ruling means unhoused people no longer face up to 15 days in jail and a $500 fine after an initial warning for sleeping on state land without permission, and vaccine mandates for public workers now are allowed in Missouri.

The law, enacted in 2022, also had prohibited state funding from being used for permanent housing for homeless people, instead directing it toward temporary shelters and assistance with substance use and mental health treatment.

In an amicus brief, advocates for homeless people argued that lawmakers “blamed mental health and substance abuse for causing homelessness, but ignored that the real problem is affordable housing and offered no real mental-health or substance-abuse solutions in the bill.”

“And in the process, they tried to justify criminalizing homelessness as a method of improving outcomes for homeless individuals,” attorneys for organizations including the National Coalition for the Homeless wrote.

A spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s Office, which defended the law in court, did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment Tuesday.

Records obtained by The AP show attempts to clear homeless encampments increased in cities from Los Angeles to New York as public pressure grew to address what some residents say are dangerous and unsanitary living conditions.

In March, bulldozers took down what was left of a once-busy homeless encampment along the Mississippi River and near the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, ending nearly a year of debate over what to do about it.

Supreme Court judges ruled against the Missouri law without discussing the potential impact of the homelessness policy, instead focusing on whether that issue fits under the bill’s subject: political subdivisions.

Wilson wrote that the connection between homelessness and political subdivisions is “remote at best and, in some instances, completely missing.”

State lawmakers had added the homelessness provision, along with 49 other new sections, to the legislation in an attempt to pass bills that otherwise were too far behind in the process to advance before the end-of-session deadline in 2022.

The lawmaker who spearheaded the homelessness provisions has since left office, and so far no other legislators have filed bills to reinstate the policy.

One Missouri lawmaker, Sen. Steven Roberts, proposed legislation that would have relaxed the homelessness provisions. On Tuesday, he said he was not yet aware of the court ruling striking down the law but likely will pull his proposal in response.

Missouri’s next legislative session begins in January.

Originally Appeared Here

This Black Nativity scene, pictured Dec. 7, 2023, is one of many displayed in the home of Deacon Bill and Rachelle Seibert in Jefferson City, Mo. Deacon Seibert assists the pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Jefferson City. (OSV News photo/Jay Nies, The Catholic Missourian)

By Jay Nies, The Catholic Missourian

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.– For Deacon Seibert, Black Nativities and Santas celebrate a God who creates in all shades.

The deacon bought his first Black Nativity scene near St. Louis more than a quarter-century ago. He found another set, one of his favorites, at a drugstore in downtown Jefferson City.

“Actually, they only had some of the pieces there,” he recalled.

“Then, I was at a conference in Oregon and I went to a store there, and they had some of the pieces I didn’t have, and I thought, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’” he told The Catholic Missourian, newspaper of the Diocese of Jefferson City.

He bought another set in Alexandria, Virginia — this one made in Africa. “Nigeria, I think, but I’m not sure,” he stated.

Deacon Seibert, who is Black, assists the pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Jefferson City.

Deacon Bill Seibert of Immaculate Conception Parish in Jefferson City, Mo., poses Dec. 7, 2023, by one of the Black Nativity scenes he set up on the dining room table in his home in Jefferson City. The centerpiece belonged to his wife’s grandmother. (OSV News photo/Jay Nies, The Catholic Missourian)

For him, finding representations of the first Noel that match his complexion are a celebration of a God who created man in his “own image and likeness.”

“And I think to celebrate who you are in the eyes of God is a wonderful thing,” he said.

“They’re all kind of spread out,” he said while moving from the living room to the dining room to the den, giving a visitor a Nativity tour. “There’s a little one there and a little one there. Of course, you see this one here.”

The halls also are decked with Black angels and Magi on a Christmas tree.

Five Black Nativities are sprawled out on the dining room table, with room to spare for place settings and a family heirloom centerpiece.

A larger Nativity is situated under a Christmas tree on the landing at the top of the stairs.

“They’re kind of all over the place,” said Deacon Seibert.

So are scores and scores of Black Santas, most accompanied by Mrs. Claus.

“There’s a real importance to that with me,” he said. “Especially with Rachelle and me being married now for 47 years.”

Deacon Seibert didn’t set out to amass a collection of Black Nativities and Santas. It started out a little at a time.

A close friend and colleague at the Missouri State Highway Patrol gave him his first Black Santa in a spirit of jest.

Rather than razzing his friend back, Deacon Seibert got excited and said, “Where did you get this? Do you think they have any more of them?”

Yes, they did. And the rest is history.

“Interestingly enough,” said the deacon, “I’d say that about 90% of the Santas that have been given to me are from white people who go out and look for Black Santas for me. They are celebrating in my joy with me.”

He noted that it’s easier to find Black Santas in stores than Black Nativities.

He remembers buying his first Black Nativity scene while his children were still living at home.

“I bought that one for everyone to share and see,” he said. “It’s like I was saying to my sons, ‘I want you to know that there are religious things out there that celebrate everybody.’”

He said he finds it puzzling when he hears people say they’re “colorblind” — as if to imply that differences don’t matter to them.

“I tell them that I personally don’t agree with that,” he said. “Because we’re all created in the image of God, and I think he intended for every last one of us to see color. It’s just what you do with it that matters!”

Namely, to show respect and gratitude for all people, in imitation of Jesus.

Deacon Seibert encourages people of diverse backgrounds to look for Nativities, Santas and other Christmas decorations that reflect their own uniqueness.

“Be proud of who you are, because God created you!” he suggested. “Go, look. See what you can find. It’s out there. It just might take a little while.”

Deacon Seibert cut back a little on this year’s decorating, due to trouble with his knees.

“It didn’t take very long, maybe a week,” he said. “Last year, I put everything out that I had, and it was March before I had it all put away.

“That was, shall we say, a bit much,” he stated.

Even now, the decorations in the den are sufficiently sufficient.

“It makes this room feel so warm, and I love it,” he said. “What comfort it is to sit in a room with The Tree of Faith! It feels so good to come here to read or study or watch TV or pray my Daily Office and have the Nativity scenes out and the Christmas tree and all the religious figures,” he said.

He laughed while noting that a few of the Christmas mementos escape getting put away at season’s end.

“I kid you not: It will be the middle of summer when we realize we didn’t put a few of them away, so we’ll decide to just leave them out,” he said.

Jay Nies is editor of The Catholic Missourian, newspaper of the Diocese of Jefferson City.

Originally Appeared Here

A Missouri Senate committee on Tuesday heard from an overflow crowd overwhelmingly against a proposed landfill in South Kansas City.Multiple city leaders, residents, and business leaders from municipalities surrounding the proposed landfill spoke against the project, as landfill developer, Jenny Monheiser, once again confirmed to Missouri lawmakers she is pushing forward with a plan to build a landfill south of Missouri 150 Highway.Monheiser said her company is under contract for or has acquired nearly 500 acres in the area, after last week releasing a list of frequently asked questions about the project to KMBC 9 Investigates. The developer has started sharing the FAQ with Missouri lawmakers claiming the landfill would not drive down property values or negatively affect schools in the area.However, Monheiser did not answer questions from KMBC 9 Investigates about the project Tuesday, walking out of the Capitol building with her spokesman. She has also remained publicly quiet on the exact details of the proposal with neighbors most directly affected by the project. Neither she nor her team has held public hearings or listening sessions to discuss her ideas for the land. She told senators Tuesday she wanted to speak to decisionmakers in Kansas City, Missouri first.“To me, hindsight is 20/20,” she said Tuesday. “To me, I need to go get, talk with the people who are going to be permitting this, where it resides, before I go talk to the communities outside,” she told a senate committee.Monheiser also confirmed she has irrevocable agreements with landowners in the area.“So regardless of what happens here at the state,” she said. “I’m going to own 500 acres, just under 500 acres of land, no matter what.”Sen. Barbara Washington (D-Jackson County) asked Monheiser what she would do with the land if she could not build the landfill.“I don’t have a Plan B at this point,” Monheiser said.BILLS THAT COULD KILL THE LANDFILLThe City of Raymore has led the charge against the landfill among various neighborhoods, cities, communities, and school districts surrounding the project.Now those communities and Monheiser are locked in a battle over legislation that could potentially kill the landfill proposal.A senate committee is deciding on bills that would put a larger buffer zone between any new landfills and a large, populated area.Right now, that buffer zone remains at a half-mile. If passed, the legislation would expand the zone to one mile between a solid waste disposal area and a service area with more than 400,000 residents.House Bill 909, sponsored by Rep. Mike Haffner, passed the Missouri House of Representatives last month by a vote of 138-16. It has moved to the Missouri Senate.Sen. Rick Brattin introduced an identical bill in the senate. That bill is now in the senate’s Local Government and Elections committee.The mayors of Raymore, Lee’s Summit, Grandview, Pleasant Hill, and all spoke against the landfill proposal in front of the committee Tuesday.Second grader Macie Thomas spoke to lawmakers, too.”Every morning, when I wake up, I do not want to smell trash,” she said. “I don’t want my family to get sick. I don’t want my community to get sick.”Thomas and her mother McKenzie Clark-Thomas came to tell lawmakers how the landfill would have a negative impact not only on their family but the surrounding neighbors, too.Clark-Thomas’ husband is 100 percent disabled from toxic waste after his deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, she said. She also said her mother is immuno-compromised and is currently in cancer treatment, saying she will have to move if a landfill comes to the area.Monheiser testified her team is planning at least $2 million worth of odor treatment at the landfill.“I don’t believe there is going to be an odor issue,” she said. “There is technology that has big pipes basically that go over the open face of the landfill that would basically like Febreze perfume the odor.” She also said she is working to minimize any impact on groundwater in the area, too.Monheiser also said she has also asked Pastor Darron Edwards of United Believers Community Church to work on a community benefits agreement with the Hickman Mills School District to help with before and after school programs. Senator Washington pushed back on the potential CBA with just Hickman Mills, saying any agreement should help students in Kansas City, Lee’s Summit, Grandview, Raymore, and Belton, along with private schools in the area.Monheiser said the possibility remains to work with more schools. Edwards also confirmed he is working with Hickman Mills schools since his church is in the district.“This development could provide a resource so that we can do better for our children who are coming behind us,” he said.Edwards also said he has urged Aden Monheiser, Jenny’s husband, to speak more publicly about the proposal. The city of Raymore has identified him as a developer in the project. Edwards invited KMBC to his church in February for a meeting with Aden Monheiser to discuss the proposed landfill. KMBC 9 Investigates has attempted via email and through phone calls with their spokesman since then, multiple times, to schedule an interview with the Monheisers. After weeks without a firm commitment on an interview, KMBC 9 Investigates asked questions of the Monheisers in the hallways of the Capitol building.Jenny Monheiser walked out of the capitol without answering questions. A spokesman urged KMBC to try and schedule another interview.Aden Monheiser declined an interview, as well, referring KMBC back to their public relations person for comments, saying he has respectfully asked KMBC to work with the public relations manager.“If you presented the facts in a fair way, we would absolutely sit down and talk to you, but you don’t,” he said.When asked what has not been fair, Monheiser, chose not to answer more.“That’s all I have to say, Matt, end of comment.”After those interactions Tuesday, KMBC emailed both the Monheisers and their spokesman, offering another opportunity to answer questions about the project.KMBC did not immediately hear back.The City of Raymore, meanwhile, said it would keep residents up to date on an executive session that would push forward the buffer zone legislation to the full senate.If you have any tips about this story or suggestions for coverage, email investigates@kmbc.com.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. —

A Missouri Senate committee on Tuesday heard from an overflow crowd overwhelmingly against a proposed landfill in South Kansas City.

Multiple city leaders, residents, and business leaders from municipalities surrounding the proposed landfill spoke against the project, as landfill developer, Jenny Monheiser, once again confirmed to Missouri lawmakers she is pushing forward with a plan to build a landfill south of Missouri 150 Highway.

Monheiser said her company is under contract for or has acquired nearly 500 acres in the area, after last week releasing a list of frequently asked questions about the project to KMBC 9 Investigates.

The developer has started sharing the FAQ with Missouri lawmakers claiming the landfill would not drive down property values or negatively affect schools in the area.

However, Monheiser did not answer questions from KMBC 9 Investigates about the project Tuesday, walking out of the Capitol building with her spokesman.

She has also remained publicly quiet on the exact details of the proposal with neighbors most directly affected by the project.

Neither she nor her team has held public hearings or listening sessions to discuss her ideas for the land.

She told senators Tuesday she wanted to speak to decisionmakers in Kansas City, Missouri first.

“To me, hindsight is 20/20,” she said Tuesday. “To me, I need to go get, talk with the people who are going to be permitting this, where it resides, before I go talk to the communities outside,” she told a senate committee.

Monheiser also confirmed she has irrevocable agreements with landowners in the area.

“So regardless of what happens here at the state,” she said. “I’m going to own 500 acres, just under 500 acres of land, no matter what.”

Sen. Barbara Washington (D-Jackson County) asked Monheiser what she would do with the land if she could not build the landfill.

“I don’t have a Plan B at this point,” Monheiser said.

BILLS THAT COULD KILL THE LANDFILL

The City of Raymore has led the charge against the landfill among various neighborhoods, cities, communities, and school districts surrounding the project.

Now those communities and Monheiser are locked in a battle over legislation that could potentially kill the landfill proposal.

A senate committee is deciding on bills that would put a larger buffer zone between any new landfills and a large, populated area.

Right now, that buffer zone remains at a half-mile. If passed, the legislation would expand the zone to one mile between a solid waste disposal area and a service area with more than 400,000 residents.

House Bill 909, sponsored by Rep. Mike Haffner, passed the Missouri House of Representatives last month by a vote of 138-16. It has moved to the Missouri Senate.

Sen. Rick Brattin introduced an identical bill in the senate. That bill is now in the senate’s Local Government and Elections committee.

The mayors of Raymore, Lee’s Summit, Grandview, Pleasant Hill, and all spoke against the landfill proposal in front of the committee Tuesday.

Second grader Macie Thomas spoke to lawmakers, too.

“Every morning, when I wake up, I do not want to smell trash,” she said. “I don’t want my family to get sick. I don’t want my community to get sick.”

Thomas and her mother McKenzie Clark-Thomas came to tell lawmakers how the landfill would have a negative impact not only on their family but the surrounding neighbors, too.

Clark-Thomas’ husband is 100 percent disabled from toxic waste after his deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, she said. She also said her mother is immuno-compromised and is currently in cancer treatment, saying she will have to move if a landfill comes to the area.

Monheiser testified her team is planning at least $2 million worth of odor treatment at the landfill.

“I don’t believe there is going to be an odor issue,” she said. “There is technology that has big pipes basically that go over the open face of the landfill that would basically like Febreze perfume the odor.” She also said she is working to minimize any impact on groundwater in the area, too.

Monheiser also said she has also asked Pastor Darron Edwards of United Believers Community Church to work on a community benefits agreement with the Hickman Mills School District to help with before and after school programs.

Senator Washington pushed back on the potential CBA with just Hickman Mills, saying any agreement should help students in Kansas City, Lee’s Summit, Grandview, Raymore, and Belton, along with private schools in the area.

Monheiser said the possibility remains to work with more schools. Edwards also confirmed he is working with Hickman Mills schools since his church is in the district.

“This development could provide a resource so that we can do better for our children who are coming behind us,” he said.

Edwards also said he has urged Aden Monheiser, Jenny’s husband, to speak more publicly about the proposal. The city of Raymore has identified him as a developer in the project. Edwards invited KMBC to his church in February for a meeting with Aden Monheiser to discuss the proposed landfill.

KMBC 9 Investigates has attempted via email and through phone calls with their spokesman since then, multiple times, to schedule an interview with the Monheisers. After weeks without a firm commitment on an interview, KMBC 9 Investigates asked questions of the Monheisers in the hallways of the Capitol building.

Jenny Monheiser walked out of the capitol without answering questions. A spokesman urged KMBC to try and schedule another interview.

Aden Monheiser declined an interview, as well, referring KMBC back to their public relations person for comments, saying he has respectfully asked KMBC to work with the public relations manager.

“If you presented the facts in a fair way, we would absolutely sit down and talk to you, but you don’t,” he said.

When asked what has not been fair, Monheiser, chose not to answer more.

“That’s all I have to say, Matt, end of comment.”

After those interactions Tuesday, KMBC emailed both the Monheisers and their spokesman, offering another opportunity to answer questions about the project.

KMBC did not immediately hear back.

The City of Raymore, meanwhile, said it would keep residents up to date on an executive session that would push forward the buffer zone legislation to the full senate.

If you have any tips about this story or suggestions for coverage, email investigates@kmbc.com.

Originally Appeared Here

COLUMBIA, MO (KMIZ)

The Jefferson City Council voted on Monday to amend its city code and eliminate the city’s unmetered parking enforcement moratorium. 

The measure was proposed by Ward 3 Councilman Scott Spencer, the Public Works and Planning Committee chairman. It ensured all parking signage Downtown matched with the city’s parking ordinances. It was passed with just one opposing vote. 

The move to eliminate the parking enforcement moratorium was an addition under “new business” at the end of the meeting. The discussion lasted roughly an hour.

During the discussion, Nathalie Newville, president of the Jefferson City Downtown Association, urged the city to put up more signs with stricter parking instructions. She also did not want to see the elimination of parking enforcement vehicles. However, she was opposed to the use of parking meters, especially on High Street, because she believes not having them encourages more business. 

Talks began around Downtown parking after a bill was filed in the Missouri Senate that attempted to ban parking fees within a mile of the Capitol, except when enforced by a licensed peace officer. A House bill also tried to ban parking fees for parking on public streets.

Roughly 20 years ago the Jefferson Cities downtown district worked with the city to remove parking meters on High Street in an effort to make businesses more accessible to residents. 

The policy allowed for free parking up to 90 minutes per day per block. However issues quickly began to arise. 

“We don’t enforce parking on Saturday’s and the signage says we did, ” Spencer said. “We were ticketing and fining people inappropriately for a number of years.” 

Newville said incorrect signage was not the only issue. 

“Say you came into the 100 block and you parked and you ran into coffee zone for your coffee. And then you came back three or four hours later and you parked in the 100 block for lunch at sweet smoke and maybe those did not equal 90 minutes but there was really no way to track that so you would get a parking ticket,” Newville said. 

After years of handing out unjust tickets, some members of City Council decided to take immediate action.

The council approved a moratorium on the enforcement of unmetered parking zones in the downtown area at its May 1 meeting. The moratorium served as a temporary fix until the city could better address its parking problems. It was intended to remain in place until June 5. 

However, it quickly led to more issues for local businesses because people could park in front of their store for eight hours a day without any fear of a ticket. 

“People who worked in the area whether it was a business like a downtown business or whether it was a state worker, could come down and just park all day long,” Newville said. “And that really hurt our businesses because they need that turnover and that parking.” 

The City Council not consulting with any businesses before implementing the moratorium added to the frustration. 

Former Jefferson City Mayor Carrie Tergin argued during the meeting that the lack of parking in front of stores is hindering business. 

“Our customers know that finding a spot is usually the difference of them stopping and enjoying our downtown shopping,” Tergin argued in front of the council.  “Otherwise they go on. A customer told me today that it’s much more difficult for her to do business in the downtown and it’s easier to go somewhere else.” 

WATCH: Jefferson City Council May 15 meeting

Newville was encouraged by the meeting, adding that she was proud of the businesses and residents who spoke up to help the City Council address the issue. 

Spencer says that now that all the signage is correct, the City Council will take a deeper look into other issues surrounding parking so they can make the parking easier for “businesses, employees, shoppers and visitors to enjoy the downtown area.”

Originally Appeared Here