AGP Executive Report

Immigration & Public Safety: Renee Good’s family sued the U.S. government and ICE officials after she was shot dead in Minneapolis, alleging wrongful death and excessive force tied to the administration’s crackdown. Education Policy: The IRS finalized a federal K-12 scholarship tax credit that lets states opt in for donations supporting private, religious, and public-school options—Missouri is listed among opt-in states. Conservation & Youth Learning: Missouri Department of Conservation hired Luke Noel as a new Conservation Educator for northeast Missouri, bringing hands-on conservation education to local counties. Arts & Community: Southeast Missouri State’s Dr. Gabrielle Baffoni previews the “Underground Jazz” series featuring Benny Goodman music for an Oct. 2 event. Local Culture: Maryville’s public library celebrated restored historic windows, and Northwest Missouri State’s first-year theater showcase “Snapshot” runs Oct. 1–4. Public Life: Police say more officers will patrol downtown Cape Girardeau after a deadly weekend shooting. Sports & Campus Life: BYU freshman Braxton Lindsey drew attention for his early impact and comments about team culture. Media & Journalism: Webster-Kirkwood Times won multiple Missouri Press Association awards, including first place for general excellence.

Education & Belonging: Missouri S&T and Mizzou are leaning on NSSE/FSSE student-survey data to boost retention, with “belonging” emerging as a key dropout factor and a campus committee pushing higher response rates and broader use of the results. Culture Wars in Classrooms: A new national report ranks states on education integrity issues tied to parental rights, DEI, gender and sexuality, as Missouri’s own “Fact Finders” checks claims about gender-affirming surgeries in schools ahead of Amendment 3. LGBTQ+ Community Support: Chappell Roan will host a two-night Los Angeles benefit, with proceeds supporting her Midwest Princess Project and trans and LGBTQ+ youth advocacy. Local Arts & Halloween: St. Louis’ “Sites and Sounds” roundup maps October concerts, comedy, theater and Halloween events. Underground Railroad History: The 24th Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Celebration moves to the Gateway Arch riverfront for a free Oct. 10 re-enactment and community program. Student Life & Care: Missouri’s U. is investigating a professor after a recording surfaced about ongoing DEI efforts. Community Grants: Carthage Technical Center gets a $20,000 FFA Foundation grant to build an outdoor classroom for its school farm. Immigration & Health Access: New federal rules will cut Medicaid for many legal immigrants, raising fears of strain on local services. Missouri Outdoors: MDC schedules hunter education certification sessions across northeast Missouri in October.

Student Success in Higher Ed: Missouri S&T is merging academic support and Student Affairs into a unified Student Success Division after NSSE/FSSE findings showed “belonging” gaps tied to dropout risk, while Mizzou is pushing to nearly double its NSSE response rate to 30% to strengthen planning. Civic Life & Community Care: A “Walk for Welcome” in Kansas City brought refugees and supporters to the Gateway Arch, spotlighting long-term integration and community-led support. Local History: Macon’s Historic Riverside Cemetery holds more than 18,000 graves, including notable Missouri-adjacent figures, turning local remembrance into a living cultural archive. Public Health Awareness: Missouri’s Capitol dome will glow pink Oct. 1–2 for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Faith & Milestones: First Assembly Church in St. Peters marks 100 years, reflecting how local congregations keep expanding. Culture & Learning Outdoors: Missouri Conservation’s October lineup includes spooky-season wildlife programs, trapping basics, and deer scouting sessions. Sports & Youth: The Chiefs named Lawrence Free State’s flag football coach of the week, celebrating mentorship and program growth. Roads: MoDOT schedules a long-term Route 47 closure near Hawk Point starting the week of Oct. 5.

Missouri Education & Community: Columbia Public Schools filed a second lawsuit over a Boone County charter school, arguing the state board and sponsor process were handled incorrectly and improperly diverted public funds. Higher Ed, Student Life: The University of Missouri and Missouri S&T are using NSSE/FSSE survey data to boost student success—Mizzou targets a higher response rate for better planning, while S&T links “belonging” to retention and is reorganizing into a unified Student Success Division. LGBTQ+ Safety: Springfield’s GLO Center, PFLAG and PROMO condemned a downtown assault tied to gender identity, calling for safer streets and more accountability. Health & Aging: MU Extension’s “Wits Workout” is helping Perry County seniors support brain health through social connection. Culture & Arts: A Plein Air Paintout is seeking sponsors for an Oct. 10 outdoor art day, with a public sale and soup supper. Sports & Culture: UCM earned top-20 Midwest recognition from U.S. News & World Report, while Missouri’s campus and community sports stories keep rolling.

Education & Belonging: Missouri S&T is reorganizing into a unified Student Success Division, using NSSE/FSSE survey data to tackle student “belonging” gaps that can lead to dropout. School Policy Fight: A Cole County judge will decide whether Boone County’s charter school expansion law is unconstitutional “special law,” while CPS also filed a new lawsuit challenging the state board’s approval of a Frontier Schools charter. Reproductive Rights on the Ballot: Amendment 3 returns to Missouri voters in November, aiming to repeal 2024 constitutional abortion protections and add new limits, including parental consent for minors and tighter rules around gender-transition procedures. College Sports Pay: The Senate advanced a national framework for college athlete pay and transfer rules, but House passage remains uncertain. Community Arts: Mercer County youth artist Hector Garcia won a statewide MU Extension Show Me Neighborhood Art Month Youth Art Award for 12 murals. Faith & Mental Health: Missouri launched a no-cost faith community training to help lay leaders recognize suicide warning signs and connect veterans and families to resources. Local Food Security: The Tarkio/Westboro/Fairfax Food Pantry is seeking specific donations as it prepares October distribution days. Education Spotlight: Joplin Schools released a “complete report card” focused on trust and satisfaction alongside academics.

Education & Community Planning: Mizzou is forming a committee to boost NSSE response rates to 30% (up from 17%) and better use student survey data for strategic planning, while Missouri S&T is reorganizing into a unified Student Success Division after NSSE/FSSE findings pointed to “belonging” as a dropout driver. Public Safety Funding: FEMA awarded $500,000 to Missouri’s Division of Fire Safety as part of a broader Midwestern grant push for firefighter equipment and responder wellness. Local Culture & Civic Life: Missouri Good Neighbor Week runs through Sunday, spotlighting everyday kindness and community-building across the state. Higher Ed Sports Policy: A major federal college-athletes-pay bill cleared the U.S. Senate 77-22, setting national compensation rules and moving next to the House. School Climate: Columbia Public Schools is sending a revised bullying policy back to the board, expanding who must report incidents and changing how families get updates. Arts & Neighborhood Pride: Project Row Houses launches Southern Survey Biennial III in Houston, bringing a national juried show to a historic block. Health & Family Support: KVC Missouri is promoting its free Visiting Infants and Families program to help parents keep babies safe and connect to resources. Environment & Outdoor Learning: Boonville hosted a Monarch Migration Tagging workshop, with local groups and the mayor backing conservation efforts. Politics & Voting Rights: Supreme Court rulings tied to voter verification and election administration continue to shape the November landscape.

Missouri Politics & Voting: The U.S. Supreme Court again blocked Missouri’s GOP-backed congressional map for the 2026 election, keeping district lines from being changed mid-cycle and protecting the voter-approval requirement. Reproductive Rights Debate: A Missouri letter urges readers to vote no on Amendment 3, arguing it would restrict doctors and endanger women’s health. Community & Culture: Missouri Good Neighbor Week returns Sept. 28–Oct. 4, spotlighting everyday kindness, with six businesses named “Most Neighborly.” Education & Campus Life: Missouri S&T is reorganizing into a unified Student Success Division after NSSE/FSSE findings tied “belonging” to dropout risk; Mizzou is also working to boost NSSE response rates. Local Environment: Missouri Western and partners are planting 30 native trees to boost campus canopy coverage, while a Boonville Monarch tagging workshop drew families and community groups. Outdoors & Learning: Missouri Extension offers patient, integrated bindweed control guidance, and a night-sky guide highlights dark-sky events and moth sugaring for fall. Arts & Books: A new children’s book, “Supercharged! Batty and the Battery Rescue Team,” launches with battery-safety lessons for kids and families.

Catholic Culture in Missouri: Tens of thousands packed St. Louis for the beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, with priests and pilgrims traveling from abroad to celebrate his media-driven faith and “Blessed” status. Pride & Community: Mid-Missouri PrideFest kept rolling in Columbia with a second-day parade, family-friendly events, and a push to fund next year as construction squeezed vendor space. Local Safety: The St. Louis Archdiocese faced a bomb threat tied to a TikTok video; a Ste. Genevieve man was charged after police evacuated and searched the site. Politics & Voting Rights: The U.S. Supreme Court blocked Missouri’s GOP-backed congressional map again, prompting fresh backlash from Trump and local officials. Immigration & Work: Missouri reported 5,740 H-2B worker approvals for fiscal 2026, and the Supreme Court also moved to restart voter citizenship checks using a federal database. Lifestyle & Media: Lionel Richie is returning to judge on “American Idol” after a heart procedure, while a Missouri “tradwife” influencer’s divorce story highlights the real-world costs behind the online domestic fantasy.

Mid-Missouri PrideFest: Thousands packed Columbia’s Park Avenue corridor for the annual PrideFest, with construction shrinking vendor space and prompting a fundraising push for next year and the Center Project’s LGBTQ resource center expansion. Immigration & Local Policing: In tight midterm races, GOP senators are publicly urging ICE to coordinate with local police after reports of surprise operations in places like Kansas. Trans Sports Ruling’s Fallout: The Supreme Court’s decision upholding state bans on transgender girls and women in women’s sports keeps driving debate, with participation rules increasingly shaped by state policy. Democracy & Voting Rights: Commentary and reporting continue to swirl around the Supreme Court’s voter-verification database decision and what it could mean for midterm access. Church & Community Life: St. Oswald’s in Skidmore plans its 128th Harvest Festival Oct. 4, while local church schedules and family events keep rolling through the week. Education & Belonging: Missouri colleges are using NSSE/FSSE data to boost student belonging and success, including Mizzou’s push to raise response rates. Local Government: Kirksville City Council will vote Monday on 2027 goals tied to prosperity, investment, accountability, and stewardship.

Surveillance & Privacy: Missouri-linked lawmakers and U.S. senators pressed on Flock Safety’s expanding camera network, raising Fourth Amendment concerns after cases of alleged misidentification. Education & Culture: A Missouri substitute teacher says she was fired after a “deep-dive” found her adult-content OnlyFans account, reigniting debate over pay, gender, and boundaries between work and online life. Faith & Media: An opinion piece marks Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen’s beatification as “the day the Church blessed the media,” spotlighting how radio/TV can shape public responsibility. Community & Identity: Jefferson City’s 25th annual Oktoberfest celebrates German roots, while Columbia’s Mid-Missouri Pridefest keeps growing despite construction. Local Sports & Memory: William Jewell’s football team won its first home game since a player’s death, carrying his legacy forward. Arts & Learning: Missouri colleges and universities continue boosting student success efforts using NSSE/FSSE data, with Mizzou and Missouri S&T both focusing on belonging and response rates. Lifestyle & Small Business: The Dog Stop is expanding into Kansas City with daycare, boarding, grooming, and retail.

Community Celebrations: Jefferson City’s 25th annual Oktoberfest brought German roots to the Missouri State Capitol area with polka, beer gardens, and family-friendly events. Pride & Belonging: Columbia’s Mid-Missouri Pridefest kept its close-knit feel despite construction, with fewer vendors but more time together and performances from local drag talent. Local Culture & Learning: Waterloo’s Missouri Valley African Violet Council is hosting a free fall show and sale Oct. 10, featuring growers, workshops, and a color-themed program. Education & Work: A St. Louis-area substitute teacher says she lost her job after a staffing company discovered her OnlyFans account, sparking debate about pay, privacy, and professional boundaries. Public Policy & Culture: Missouri AG Catherine Hanaway ordered prediction market companies to stop “sports-related event contracts,” arguing they skirt voter-approved sports wagering rules. Faith & Heritage: Coverage around Pope Leo XIV’s France visit highlights Catholic growth and the church’s focus on welcoming new converts. Food Safety: Jefferson County Health Department released weekly inspection scores, ranging from 68 to 100 across 46 checks.

Election & Voting Rights: The U.S. Supreme Court blocked Missouri’s GOP-backed congressional map for the 2026 midterms, leaving the state to use its 2022 map while absentee voting is already underway. Human Trafficking Prevention: Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced a new statewide council to coordinate adult trafficking and child sexual exploitation efforts, with appointees from agencies, lawmakers, courts, and advocacy groups. Local Safety & Community Life: Lee’s Summit’s Oktoberfest will run with a fenced perimeter and ticketed entry after Downtown Days drew chaos and police calls earlier this year. Culture & Faith: Thousands gathered in St. Louis for the beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, with local coverage highlighting the scale and impact of the ceremony. Education & Belonging: Mizzou and Missouri S&T are using NSSE/FSSE survey results to boost student success, with a focus on improving “belonging” and response rates. Health & Careers: Memorial Hospital welcomed hospitalist Ashley Frakes, expanding its provider team. Arts & Region: “Our Art, Our Region, Our Time” opens in Fayetteville with 102 works from 87 artists across multiple communities. Outdoors & Learning: Missouri Department of Conservation is running fall trapping clinics and a virtual deer-hunting scouting series for hunters.

Supreme Court & Voting Access: The U.S. Supreme Court lifted a block on Trump’s expanded voter verification plan, allowing states to use Social Security-linked citizenship checks—an election-integrity fight that could reshape who gets flagged before November. K-12 Oversight: A federal watchdog warns Missouri schools face higher risk of undetected waste and unreliable absenteeism data after the Education Department paused key monitoring. Education Policy in Missouri: Missouri schools are moving toward a new A-F grading system, aiming to give families a clearer snapshot of performance—while local leaders push for careful rollout. Student Success at Missouri Colleges: Missouri S&T is reorganizing student support after NSSE/FSSE findings highlighted “belonging” as a dropout factor, and Mizzou is boosting its NSSE response rate to strengthen planning. Arts & Community: The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis is restructuring to cut costs and push more money to artists and programs. Local Culture & History: A mother-daughter Ozarks history team is preserving cemetery stories online, turning local memory into a growing digital community. Public Safety & Health: Researchers argue suicide prevention should focus more on reducing access to lethal means as prediction tools fall short. Sports & Campus Life: KU Libraries’ LibArt exhibition celebrates student art across majors, and Missouri’s unemployment figures show mixed county trends for August.

Catholic Culture in St. Louis: Thousands gathered at America’s Center for the beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, with Vatican envoy Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle presiding and the White House highlighting Sheen’s media legacy. Local Faith & Community: Bethany Lutheran in Missouri received a $4,000 grant to expand student clubs and faith-building beyond the classroom. Education & Arts Access: Columbia’s West Middle School will become a fine arts lottery school, aiming to grow enrollment and balance district middle-school numbers. Health & Women’s Programs: Blessing Health System nurse educator Rachel Pettitt earned PCCN certification, while Western Missouri Medical Center plans its 14th Annual Ladies’ Night Out with vendors, health education, and raffles. Civic Life & Public Input: Missouri voters will decide in November on Amendment 6, which would make it harder for lawmakers to change voter-approved laws through the initiative process. Privacy & Tech Debate: Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley pushed senators to scrutinize Flock’s AI camera network after concerns about wrongful arrests and warrantless tracking. River & Outdoors: Missouri National Recreational River hosts National Public Lands Day on Sept. 26 to remove invasive eastern redcedar on Green Island. Local Business & Jobs: Kansas City’s Wellness Court is adding entrepreneurship lessons for participants, aiming to break the cycle of drugs and crime.

Catholic Culture in Missouri: Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s beatification is set for St. Louis, with major national attention after President Trump and the White House issued statements praising Sheen’s media legacy and “peacemaking” message. Education & Faith: Organizers say the Dawson Sheen Academy in Virginia will open with a classical, vocation-focused hybrid model named for Sheen and historian Christopher Dawson. Local Food Security: Missouri Farmers Care is taking applications for its 2027 Drive to Feed Kids grants, offering $250–$750 for hunger-fighting projects by 4-H, FFA, CTE groups and more. Youth & Career Pathways: Johnson County students are touring farms through K-State Extension’s “Field to Future” event, designed to spark interest in agriculture careers. Civic Life & Privacy: U.S. senators grilled the expanding AI-powered Flock camera network over privacy and warrant concerns, including claims of wrongful arrests. Schools & Leadership: Riverview School Board hired a search firm for a superintendent hunt, with costs totaling about $13,850. Health & Community: Missouri’s vaccination rates keep falling, while HHS awarded $51M for children’s dental care for autism and Down syndrome. Higher Ed Access: FAFSA for 2027/28 is now open, with Missouri urging filing by Feb. 1 for programs like Access Missouri.

Suicide Prevention & Firearms: A new report argues predicting who will attempt suicide is unreliable, so prevention should focus on reducing access to lethal means—like loaded guns—rather than trying to “spot” individuals. Campus Safety & Substance Risks: Mizzou Interfraternity Council weighed in after two Ole Miss students died, urging students to avoid speculation and use overdose prevention tools like Narcan. Civil Rights at Mizzou: A federal appeals court heard arguments over whether Mizzou can block Students for Justice in Palestine from marching in a homecoming parade, with Missouri’s attorney general also investigating. School Library Content: The Missouri Supreme Court heard challenges to a law that led to hundreds of books being removed from school libraries, raising free-speech and vagueness questions. Disability & Community: WalletHub ranks St. Louis as the best big city for people with disabilities, citing accessible infrastructure and healthcare. Autism Support: A new autism clinic opened in south Kansas City to cut wait times and expand individualized therapy for families. Privacy & Surveillance: Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley pushed lawmakers to scrutinize Flock automated license plate cameras, while CEOs declined to testify. Arts & Culture: St. Louis’ Kemper Art Museum opened Carolina Caycedo’s “Growing Deep Roots,” featuring works built from recovered materials and nets. Faith & Community Events: Zion Lutheran’s Mission Fest will feature Rev. Matthew Bergstresser, and St. Louis is set for Fulton Sheen’s beatification watch coverage. Education & Inclusion: Deaf Awareness Week spotlights Missouri DESE programs supporting deaf and hard-of-hearing students and workforce readiness. Local Sports: Mizzou hosts the Gans Creek Classic as teams gear up for a competitive stretch.